quotes

When you know that it’s the moment, you know you have to try.  In that time, I tried, I was alone.  You cannot wait if you are alone.

Oscar Freire, post-race Amstel Gold 2012 – Cycling News.  One of the gutsiet attacks of the season from no one other than the 3 time world champion – he almost, almost made it to the line, too.  Riding solo for 7km, and finishing 4th isn’t any small feat, though.  Amazing riding, Freire.  Photo from Cycling News.

I was already spinning my gear as fast as I could, how could I go any faster with it? I started to bounce whenever I did. It was here that I wished I had an extra inch or two on my 50-15 gear, maybe a 51-15 would have been nice? So hard to guess that sort of thing without having done a track bike criterium before, or having ridden the course.

Rainier Schaefer on the Red Hook Crit, 2012 – Mashsf.  Photo from PINP.

I just didn’t have the legs.  It’s that simple.  Tom just rode us out of the wheel, out of the saddle. I never saw anything like it before.

Defending champions never have it easy.A broken Johan Vansummeren after finishing 9th at Paris-Roubaix 2012 – Cycling News.  Photo from SRAM.

I was not really thinking about the winning race or doing a record. I was just fighting myself. I was taking it step by step, cobblestone by cobblestone, kilometer by kilometer. I think if you start thinking about the 60 or 57 km, which is when I left, it’s nearly impossible. It is all in your mind. I was really thinking about my lead. With the gap at 30 seconds I was trying to take it second by second. I was trying not to push it right away to one minute, tried not to force myself. It was the best way to save my strength and put all my strength into the 50km in front of me. I think it was the best option.

Tom Boonen after winning Paris-Roubaix 2012 – Cycling News.  Photo from SteepHill.

When checking the bike computer I figured that if they would ride harder than I did – around 50 km/h – they would have to be really strong. Every 10km you hear what the gap is but you don’t know what’s going on. I had to get a minute as soon as possible and at least hold it or extend it. Once it would drop below that the group would smell blood.

Niki Terpstra after his win at the Dwars Door Vlaanderen – Cycling News.  Photo from Flickr, Terpstra leading Boonen at the Tour of Flanders.

I was simply reacting to how the race was developing. I didn’t plan on being solo but half hearted attacks are pointless…when you go you have to take responsibility for making the gap. You cant pedal a few hard pedal strokes and then look for someone else to help. You just have to put your head down and create the gap. Then you just try to lull your self in to some kind of rhythm.

Dan Chabanov after winning the Red Hook Crit #5.  20 lap solo win, enough said.  Photo from Red Hook Crit.

In the end I took the risk. I don’t have eyes in the back of my head. I felt that they were coming behind quickly, so for that reason I said to myself: ‘all in.’ …I had lactic acid coming out my ears too. If you go from the top of the Poggio to the finish full on, it’s clear that at the end the gas runs out.

Fabian Cancellara at the end of Milan-San Remo 2012 – Cycling News.  Photo from SteepHill.

…but in the end I was stronger.

Greg Van Avermaet after winning Paris-Tours, last season - Cycling News.  Photo from BMC.

The whole race people were attacking non-stop. I’ve done this race four times and this was the most aggressive I’ve ever seen it. With 1km to go every team was putting someone up the road.  Coming in, everyone’s lead-out trains were depleted and I was able to surf. Freddie dropped me off at the front with 500m to go and we got swarmed, but I was able to find the Optum train coming up and I hopped on that and rode it in.

Logan Loader after winning the 193km Almond Blossom road race, the last stage of the Merco Cycling Classic, 2012 – Cycling News.  Local races, you know what’s up.  Exergy runs MicroShift shifters, calipers, front derailleurs, and Shimano 6700 cassettes/rear derailleurs – it’s all in the legs.  Photo from Castelli.