Markel: "All I want is some luck"

Markel has performed consistently well for the team this season, with his 2nd place in the Paris-Nice prologue as a highlight, but thinks it could all have been so much better if Lady Luck had been on his side. In today's Basque daily El Diario Vasco, he elaborated on the matter: "The word "luck" in an unknown to me. In the Ronde van Vlaanderen I broke my rear wheel. Just after the mechanics had changed it, Baldato ran in to me from behind, causing me to crash. When we reached the Oude Kwaremont, myself and Beñat both crashed. Then it was all over for us. All I want is some luck. I finished Paris-Roubaix rather well, but all kinds of things happened to me before reaching the velodrome. First I broke my bike. The mechanics had never seen anything like it; it was a total mess. Before reaching the Arenberg Forest, the peloton split into several pieces due to the strong echelons. The tension was high. Flecha punctured in front of me, so I jumped onto José Joaquin Rojas' wheel. We were then part of a group five minutes down, including Nuyens, Erviti and Quinziato. Then it got worse. I punctured, but luckily I got a wheel from a Bouygues mechanic. Shortly afterwards I broke my saddle. I ended up riding alone for 15 kilometres, waiting for the next group to come along. I had to change the whole bike, but I stayed with the group I had waited for." He added that he crashed three times in Paris-Nice, but he didn't complain about the equipment though. In fact, he was full of praise for the bikes the team had been equipped with in Roubaix. "The bike was perfect; low air pressure in the wheels, 25 millimetre tubulars, 44 teeth bracket, a double layer of handlebartape and more compact bottle cages." Despite all the misfortune, he should remain optimistic. He admits he's improved physically this season, "but I don't have anything to show for it due to all the bad luck." Well, Markel, it's bound to turn eventually. If he can keep his current form for the remainder of the season, he'll get some results to brag about for sure.