The end of my Giro, a crit and whats next?
Hi all,
Very sorry for taking so long to write my next post. Let me tell you that after that many days of racing a Grand Tour you don’t want to do much but sleep for the weeks after.
Giro d’Italia
What an unbelievable experience. In what you will probably find a strange statement, I really enjoyed the Giro. To race at the very highest of road cycling, in front of millions of people day after day, around one of the most beautiful countries in the world, you just cant get much better then that. Pain you say? Yes it takes your body past its boundaries but after looking back on everything I did in those 13 stages, I feel all the more mentally and physically stronger. My team were very happy with my effort and accomplishments during the tour and even tho every day you may of seen my name at the bottom of the results list, I learnt that there are so many more jobs and tasks that need to be done by each member of the team to achieve a result at that level. My proudest moment in the tour and a stage I think told me I had taken an extra step in my professional career was in my last day of the Giro. A flat stage of 170 km, our team tactic for the day was to bring the race to a sprint finish for my team mate Tyler Farrar. After 15 km’s a break of 3 riders was formed and only 5 km’s later I was on the front of the peloton riding to not let the gap between us and the break away get to big. I rode in the front group of the bunch taking turns to break the wind for 150 km’s. It was a real step for me in maturity, knowing that after 13 days of racing a grand tour I could still be strong enough to ride the front for that long. The race ended in a sprint finish and even tho we did not win the stage I had done my job and the team was proud of my efforts. Hopefully I will be back to ride another Grand Tour soon.
NOCTURNE CRITERIUM EDINBURGH RACE REPORT FROM BRITISH CYCLING WEBSITE
One more event was then on the programme before the main course, that of the ever popular Folding Bike Race and once that three laper had been won, the Elite riders who had been milling about close to the circuit, were allowed a couple of laps on the course before being gridded. Prior to the race, Rob Hayles gave his verdict on the course saying “the gradient is fine, the cobbles are fine, but the gradient and the cobbles together are going to make it very very tough! If it was section in a road race it would not be a problem but you’re going to be coming round here every minute and a half.”
Eight riders were then introduced to the crowd starting with James McCallum followed by Olympic champion Ed Clancy, British road race and circuit race champions Rob Hayles and Dean Downing as well as CandiTV’s Russell Downing and Malcolm Elliott. The last two introduced were the special guests brought in for the race from Spain, Aussie Cameron Meyer and a rider Scotland calls its own, David Millar.
With the bagpipes being played by a young lady near the start line, the field of 40 or so riders were lined up and let loose around 9pm in front of a now much bigger crowd with Scottish rider and former circuit race champion James McCallum leading the field down to the first corner. Very quickly the attacks were being launched and riders were being shelled out the back. Talking later on the podium, Millar explained that any thought of getting into the race slowly went out the window on the first laps because with the crowd support, he felt like a junior rider all over again and just wanted to race from the front which he and others did causing havoc in the peloton.
A rider who was a little nervous of the course and what the race may bring before the start, World Champion on the track, Cameron Meyer of Western Australia, led the field up the start/finish straight early on with the big guns already close to the front before they hit the climb. Tom Southam hit the front and then David Millar took one string of riders up the climb at speed whilst Russell Downing attacked on the left. That move took three riders clear, Kristian House and David Millar joining Downing at the front of the race but like all attacks, it was short lived and whilst the break may have come back to the chasers, at the back, the damage was quite severe after only a few laps.
Within ten laps or so, the front group was down to a dozen or so riders and some riders who have been doing well in the flatter crits were struggling already 30 seconds or more down on the leaders. At this time of the race, it was Rapha firing off their riders like House and Southam up the climb whilst at the back some very big names were suffering and losing contact and going out of the race. Thoughts of how many were going to finish the race crossed my mind at this point. Not many it would seem!
Soon Cameron Meyer came round the corner at speed on the climb already well clear of what was left of the main group with Dan Craven and Tom Southam chasing with Meyer’s teammate David Millar keeping a close eye on them. Whilst Meyer powered on alone at the front, the chase group of a dozen or so was led by Malcolm Elliott who was looking very strong on the night, perhaps the strongest of all his team. Nothing the chasers were doing though looked like to be working and Meyer was opening up the gap and then, the killer blow for the British based riders as Millar gapped the chasers and very quickly crossed to his young teammate.
At this point it looked like race over for the rest. Some star names were already back in their team cars and the gap to the break was growing and many were fearing the same as I — were these two going to lap everyone? The answer was no and the fight back was led by Rapha Condor in the closing laps. The gap was by now only 20 seconds or so and Kristian House went off in solo pursuit of the two leaders. Millar responded by leaving his young companion behind and going solo as well. Back in the chasers, Evan Oliphant was riding strongly and leading the chase group where the gaps between riders up the hill were growing ever wider.
It took House a few laps but he caught Meyer and the two kept the momentum going, enough to stay clear of the chasers but Meyer was not going to take House up to Millar with the finish in sight. The bell lap was sounded and Millar crossed the line, arm aloft and then celebrated by high fiving I think everyone lining the barriers around the course. Behind him, House outsprinted Meyer whilst Russell Downing got away from the chasers to take fourth.
It had been a brutal race and after his celebration lap Millar said “I’m pleased with that win. I really wanted it and had some Giro form out there. The course was beautiful – I loved it. It was hard and there were no tactics. I average 416 watts out there so that is pretty heavy. I was so proud out there in front of that crowd.”
“I came to Edinburgh with one secret weapon and it was called Cam (Cameron Meyer)” commented Millar. “As soon as the race started my tactics went out of the window and after marking a few attacks Cam went on the front and we took the race on. “I really wanted to take victory on Scottish soil especially in Edinburgh in front of my friends and family,” he commented. “It was a brutal circuit but a fantastic experience to race in such a spectacular setting, the atmosphere was perfect.”
“The final couple of laps were my fastest and I just put it in the big ring on the climbs. It hurt but I was feeling good. Cam set things up perfectly and it was great to win in Scotland.” Millar now sets his sights on the Tour de France with the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré his next race in preparation.
Second placed Kristian House meanwhile said “it was a savage course and it just came down to who was the strongest. First lap, I was knocked off on the climb and I wasn’t happy about it but I have to say, the people on that climb got me through that tough stage of the race. I sat on the road for a good couple of seconds wondering if I was going to be able to keep going.”
Once I had fallen off (first lap crash), I bided my time a little bit and just waited for the right moment to attack. To be honest, I thought I was racing for third and I really think they (Meyer and Millar) were just cruising. When Millar went and I caught Meyer I said lets keep it going and we’ll stay away and I was surprised I got him in the sprint. It was a good feeling to get a result like that. To be able to race that way and be that strong in the finale. I have a lot of racing behind me now with the RAS and even the crits and so I am pretty happy with my form.”
Cameron Meyer: Whilst signing endless autographs, Cameron Meyer said of the race “that was good fun tonight for such a hard course. The crowd and atmosphere were unbelievable and there were some good bike riders out there so to get a result, I had a great time. I knew a few of the guys like Rob Hayles and Ed Clancy and the Downing brothers so I stayed near the front and tried to break it up as early as I could.”
“Dave was riding strong out there and I could feel that in the break. I had done a lot of work before we joined up and I tried to stay with him as long as I could but I couldn’t hold it and he just went alone on the hill. Kristian House was going really strong and come across and in the sprint he got me by a couple of centimetres but overall I’m pleased with the race.”
After the finish, the top three were presented to the crowd on the podium where Millar confirmed he was coming back to challenge the home riders again, and his fellow European pros in the Road Race championships in Abergavenny, adding — ‘with bells on’. On the form he showed on Saturday night, he will certainly be one of the favourites especially in light of the result the last time the championships were in Abergavenny — Millar won that year!
WHATS NEXT?
The Tour of Switzerland is my next event on the program. A nine day tour with many riders preparing for the Tour de France its going to be a tough one but I am looking forward to it. With a 8 km time trial to start with and a 40 km time trial to end I hope to have some good results to show at the end of the race. After this tour I will be joining the Australian Track Team for a track camp. After this will be the Tour of Austria which is 7 days long. A month on the road but and exciting one at that.
Until my next update. Hope you are all well.
Cam
Edinburgh Crit
Edinburgh Podium
David Millar and I
climbing the cobbled hill
Break Away