The 2013 giro d'italia finally got underway today and I was chomping at the bit to push the pedals in anger! I was also determined to contribute in anyway I could to presenting the team in the best possible way and ensuring everybody knew Cannondale pro cycling team were here and we were here to race at the front!
My enthusiasm was so great that I was on the front row at km 0 and preceded to attack immediately. It has been way to long since I rode a breakaway and was desperate the get a head start on the peleton. As I am suffering from a little bit of a head cold following the average weather of the past week, I was feeling a little rusty in the first 50km. At the commencement of the 2nd km I decided it was time to open up the legs and if the others wanted in on my party they would need to burn some colories, there were too many passengers unwilling to contribute in our breakaway of 7 and I set of. I rode the 3km climb between 470-500 watts which was a pace I knew would require a atleast a bit of efforts from my breakaway mates. As it turned out they did not respond and I was finally alone, just how I like it, a rd wide open infront on me where I could finally do whatever I wanted to do. I decided to not go crazy and just drummed out a tempo I knew I could hold for a long time and enjoyed 80km alone of the front spurred on by the crowd and everybody cheering my name.
By days end I would drop from the main field and with it lose time and any GC aspirations and certainly not be on the prestigious prized jersey podium. However for me the feeling of having everybody appreciateing my solo effort was what I fed off and has left me hungry for much more of that feeling in this giro. It want be the last time I go on attack!
Once caught with 15km to go all my teammates mate a big effort to congradulate me, I knew then that they were certainly now a little more motivated to deliver elia to the spint finish in the most perfect possible way. Sure enough as the bell rang for the final lap the men in green enmassed on the front of the bunch which I saw on the big screen. I immediately let out a scream of excitement as I knew then it would be a great day for the team in green! Sure enough with 1km to go our boys were in control and it took the extraordinary talent of mark cavendish to deny elia and cannondale pro cycling of the most perfect start to this years corsa rosa. Elia would finish a gallant 2nd and with it take the white jersey of the best young rider so in my opinion it is still an amazing effort. Not so much getting the jersey but the way the team rode, with determination and feeding of each others enthusiasm and motivation. That's what I love about this team its a family and performances like today illustrate exactly what cannondale pro cycling team is all about!!
Time for some rest and like my 8 team mates I can't wait to wake up tomorrow and get stuck into the Team Time Trial.
Race data
130km, 3hrs
Average power 330 watts
Average heart rate 165bpm
Cjw
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device
No comments:
Post a Comment