Koldo's view on Vuelta week 1
"We're done with the first week now, and the team as a whole has peformed well. We got the race off to a good start, placing 2nd in the team time trial in Granada. We were only 8 seconds off first place. The primary goal was to get through this first week unscathed and without too many problems, and we've succeeded. Igor Antón hasn't lost time due to crashes or anything like that, and he did well in the time trial in Ciudad Real. To me, he looks to be in great shape. Now the mountains loom, a terrain in which he excels. It's important not to put pressure on him. If everything goes to plan he'll bring us much joy.
"As a team we've done well. Egoi Martínez went close to grabbing the leader's jersey when on the attack in stage 2, Mikel Astarloza has protected Igor Antón, and Alán and Rubén Pérez have helped me out in the sprints. We try to help one another, and that collaboration forms the basis on which we can perform well day in, day out."
"Speaking of myself, I didn't know at what level I was before taking the start. I'd trained hard, but I didn't feel as good as I did prior to the Giro. I've been feeling good though. In Córdoba I was blocked inside the last kilometre and placed 4th, while I went one better in Puertollano... The positioning has let me down, and that's my weak point. If you are to beat Bennati or Boonen you cannot commit any failures. Now I'll try to get through the Pyrenees without spending too much energy, as my mind is now on doing even better in Zaragoza and Burgos."
3 comments:
Yeah that positioning is always the problem. Glad he knows it too. If Euskaltel had men like Boonen and Bennati have, he would have won much more. But oke, we have to accept they haven't. I hope he will be doing better indeed. He atleast is making another step this Vuelta, placing better than Zabel and Napolitano.
I think when we look at sprinters we have:
- Cavendish
- Freire, Boonen and Bennati
- Koldo Fernandez
- Napolitano, Zabel, McEwen, Hushovd
- The rest of the lot
And that makes me proud!
Well, Koldo may have a slightly higher maximum pace than Hushovd, but I think it's clear that Thor is still a better, more powerful sprinter... I'm afraid Koldo (always referred to as Fernandeskòldo by one of our Belgian race commentators, too bad he doesn't deliver the commentary for this Vuelta) won't win a stage this year either. Boonen and Bennati seem too strong for the rest of the lot.
Iñigo on the attack! If he can hold on to this, he can be very useful for Igor on the finishing climb... this may well be our day!
I strongly disagree that Koldo should be regarded as a better sprinter than Hushovd, if you look at their 2008 results, Hushovd is still a couple of levels ahead.
And btw, I don't say this because I'm Norwegian :)
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