Sastre will win again, it's just that yesterday everything was against him.
Poor roads, terrible weather, etc., etc. It's just not type of days where Sastre can perform at his best..
The Team line-up is also good enough.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Sastre loses time in muddy Giro stageIt seems Cervélo Test Team captain
Carlos Sastre Candil (ESP) cannot catch a break in this year's Giro d'Italia. Sastre and Cervélo teammate
Xavier Tondó Volpini (ESP) both crashed when race leader Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas-Doimo) hit the deck with about 35km to go in Saturday's epic 220km stage across the gravel roads of Tuscany in the Giro's seventh stage.
Both Cervélo men lost more than five minutes in the cold, rainy stage won by Cadel Evans (BMC Racing Team) while Alexander Vinokourov (Astana) regained the race leader's pink jersey.
"Carlos and Tondó both fell when they came into a corner when three Liquigas riders crashed right in front of them. They were in good position, but when the crash occurred there was nothing they could do," explained
Cervélo Sport Director, Alexandre Sans Vega. "They got up pretty fast and made it through the first section of gravel roads, but had to stop to change bikes due to a problem caused by the crash. They did what they could, but in the final seven-eight kilometers, they struggled with fatigue caused by the cold, the rain, the crash and the nerves."
"Today's stage was truly difficult. At first, things looked like they were going more or less well, but the crash came just before the gravel section. The crash caused some pain and later I had to change the bike because I couldn't change the gears. I couldn't change the bike until we got through the first gravel section because it took awhile for the car to get through," Sastre said. "We were able to return to the (Nibali) group but later near the finish line, with about 8km to go, I suffered an amazing 'bonk' (fatigue). If I hadn't been accompanied by Xavier, who did an impressive job, it could have been much worse."
Despite losing ground in the first week, Sastre insists not is all lost. "Well, we've gotten through another day at the Giro," he said. "The most important thing now is to recover from the fall and even though it's difficult, there's still a lot of Giro ahead of us."
Unfortunately, the crash came just as the speeds were picking up and the main pack was about to roar onto two long sections of wet, muddy gravel roads that trace the hills of Tuscany.
Luckily, neither rider appeared seriously injured other than typical cuts and scrapes that come with a fall. Other members of Cervélo's Giro team also endured a long, hard day in the saddle, but vow to keep fighting. The good news is that all nine riders remain in the race after the rough-and-tumble first week at the Giro.
"Luck has not accompanied us since the start of this Giro. Every day has been nervous, stressful, with a lot of crashes and rain," Sans Vega said. "We're going to keep fighting. There are still two weeks of the Giro and in these two weeks, many things can happen."
"Logically, if you look at the times on GC, we have to be realistic. The situation is now more complicated. We just have to make our race and that's it," Sans Vega said. "But we have to remember that this is a very hard Giro. Normally, the third week is very hard, but it will be even more difficult due to the grueling first week we've had. It's been very long, very hard, very fast, with a lot of stress and rain. I think that's going to cause a lot of damage in the third week."
The 93rd Giro continues Sunday with the 189km eighth stage from Chianciano Terme to Terminillo in what's the first summit finish of this year's edition.
Note: In the GC, Carlos Sastre is now 7:06 min behind the leader AV.
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------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Sastre out of contention for Giro d'Italia overall"Today's stage was action-packed," said an extremely tired Sastre.
"Frankly, it has been a tough and very difficult stage. In theory, it
seemed as though everything was going pretty well, but the crash I had
at the start of the stretch of dirt roads made all the difference and
affected the stage results."
"I hurt myself quite badly in the crash and then changing my bike
didn't work out well," he said. "I was having problems shifting up and
down through the rear gears. Until the car caught up with me from
behind, at the end of the first dirt stretch, I couldn't change bikes.
We had to drop back to the group."
Sastre crashes and loses big time in tough stage - VeloNation------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Giro impressions from 1st time participant Marcel WyssMarcel Wyss (CHE) is getting his first taste of a three-week grand tour during this month's Giro d'Italia.
The Swiss all-rounder, who turns 24 later this month, is one of the most promising riders to come out of Switzerland in a generation. Wyss has the natural physique of a climber but can also time trial well, tipping him toward a successful future in stage racing.
In his first full season as a pro last year with Cervélo, Wyss gained valuable experience as well as some promising results, including top-20 in the Tour de Romandie in his native Switzerland.
Cervélo talked with Wyss as he makes his grand tour debut. Here are excerpts from the interview:
Cervélo: What are you goals for this Giro d'Italia?
Marcel Wyss: I hope to be a good teammate for the next three weeks. The most important thing is to help Carlos. It's also important not to crash, because the first days in Holland were very nervous. I will listen to the riders with the experience, like Cuesta, Gustov, Carlos. We have a lot of riders with a lot of experience. So it's very important for me to finish my first grand tour.
Cervélo: What has been the longest race you've competed in before?
MW: The Tour of Portugal was almost two weeks, it was 12 stages and one rest day. I had a bad feeling the first day, it was going worse with each day, but then by the sixth and seventh stage, I started to feel better and I was getting stronger as the race went forward. So that gives me confidence that I can finish these three weeks.
Cervélo: You're naturally a climber, where do you see yourself playing a role during the Giro?
MW: It's difficult to say now, because in March and April, I wasn't in great shape. I was not able to do good work. Now I am in much better shape, but it's difficult to say where I will be. We have a strong climber like Tondó, who will be there in the big climbs. I will be there to bring some water bottles. It will depend on how the race unfolds.
Cervélo: Do you have any special memories of the Giro?
MW: Every grand tour is special. I've watched the Giro since I was young. The Giro is interesting for me because I am always in very good shape in May. I know most of the climbs when they go close to the Swiss border. The Gavia and the Mortirolo, for example, I know them very well. I am happy to be here. I am from Bern, but I always do training in St. Moritz.
Cervélo: Did you have a hero in cycling when you were starting in the sport?
MW: When I was young, I had some cycling heroes. Now I have my own goals. I admire a person like Carlos. People who are very successful, but still have a good personality, these are people that I can learn something from them. They are a good example. Carlos is a person like that.
Cervélo: What are you long-term goals in cycling?
MW: I don't know what I can do in a grand tour. I think I am better for Romandie or Tour de Suisse. For a Swiss rider, or for any rider, it's good to ride well in your own country and do a good result. For the next few years, I will focus on the smaller stage races, like Romandie or Tour de Suisse. But in the future, in five or 10 years, maybe I can aim for a grand tour. I am scheduled to race Tour de Suisse, but it depends..