sum up Volta ao Algarve

Resda je pred nami že skorajda nov vikend, a vseeno se bom še enkrat ozrl na prejšnjega. Iz dirke po Algarve smo prinesli rumeno majico. Sam začetek dirke, prva etapa, ki je bila ravninska je zame pomenila samo preživeti – izogniti se težavam in ne izgubiti časa, kar mi je tudi uspelo. že tam je naš sprinterski vlak izvlekel dober rezultat. Druga etapa, s ciljem na klanec, na Alto di Foia, ki ga poznam že od lani pa mi je predstavljala večji izziv. Ob vznožju klanca nas je ostalo za skupinico, vedno bližje ciljni črti smo šli, manj nas je bilo. Poizkusal sem dirkati agresivno. Na koncu sva ostala sama z Danom Martinom, in za zmago nam je zmanjkal zgolj kak meter, a na koncu koncev je vsaka stvar za nekaj dobra. Tretja etapa- posamični kronometer. Ozka cesta, tlakovci, veter, a sem nekako verjel da sem še vedno lahko hiter. Nagrada je bila rumena majica vodilnega, čeprav sem se zavedal da nas čakata še 2 peklenska dneva. Med najdaljšo, četrto etapo so fantje poskrbeli da nisem imel nikakršnih skrbi, ekipa je delovala odlično. Netipično za etapno dirko, a vendar, organizatorji so kraljevsko etapo pustili za konec, profil je kazal 2x čez Malhao in ponavadi se je tukaj odločila dirka. Tega klanca sem se že pred dirko veselil in razmišljal samozavestno, saj me je lani preveč presenetil, da bi pozabil – na koncu je strm, kot da greš v nebesa. Pred Kwiatkovskim sem imel 22 sec prednosti in pričakovali smo napad. Moj cilj je bil da se ga držim kot klop, kar mi je tudi uspelo in glej ga zlomka ubranili smo majico! Ampak vse to je že mimo, in zrem naprej na nove dirke, čaka me italijanski trojček : Strade Bianche, Tirreno – Adriatico in Milan – Sanremo. Zahvalil bi se ekipi in vsem za navijanje in lepa sporočila! In kot bi rekli moji prijatelji skakalci – samo auf! 😀
Video- behind the scenes 😛
zadnjih 10 km 5.etapa
It is true that is almost a new weekend in front of us, but still I will look back one more time.  We took the yellow jersey in the Tour of Algarve. The start of the race was flat, I only had to “survive”, stayed outta problems, not to lose time, which I managed to do. Our sprint train got a good result already there! Second stage ended with a climb, Alto di Foia, which I knew from last year. I saw it as a big challenge. At the beginning of the climb the peloton was smaller and the more we were closer to the finish line, the less we were in the group. I tried to ride agresivelly. In the end we stayed alone with Dan Martin. I lost a win for a meter or so, but didn’t give up. Third stage was an ITT – narrow roads, cobblestones, strong wind, but still I had belief in myself that I can go fast. We were awarded with the leader’s jersey, yet I knew there are two brutal days in front of us. During the fourth, longest stage of the race, the team again worked excellent, and our guys had an eye on me all the time.  Not usual for the stage race, the organizers kept the Queen stage for the last day, usually that’s where the race was decided. 2 times over Malhao, we were expecting the attack from Sky, my goal was to stick with Kwiatkowski all the time and I managed to do that. We defended the jersey!!  Now it’s time to look in the future, I have an Italian triple in front of me : Strade Bianche, Tirreno- Adriatico and Milan- Sanremo.  Here I would like to thank once again to the team and to everyone for congrats and nice messages! Cheers!!

Photos: Joao Fonseca