RadioShack's Brajkovic wins stage at Dauphine
Source: Agencies |
June 11, 2010, Friday
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LANCE Armstrong's RadioShack team finally found something to cheer about when Janez Brajkovic took the overall lead in the Criterium du Dauphine in France with an impressive stage win on Wednesday.
Slovenian Brajkovic clocked one hour, one minute and 51 seconds over 49km from Monteux to beat Briton David Millar by 26 seconds, with twice Tour de France champion Alberto Contador finishing a disappointing sixth, 1:46 behind.
It was a day to remember for RadioShack, after Spain's Haimar Zubeldia fractured his wrist in a massive crash in the Dauphine on Monday and is almost certainly ruled out of next month's Tour.
Last week, Sebastien Rosseler was hit by a car during training in Belgium and the Swiss is also unlikely to ride the Tour.
Brajkovic, who started the day five seconds behind Spaniard Contador, proved strong in the third-category climb to the Cote de la Roque sur Pernes, smart in the descent and steady in the final 20km.
"(...) Superb win in the time trial in Dauphine. Tappa e maglia! (stage and jersey)," RadioShack team boss Johan Bruyneel said on his Twitter feed.
Brajkovic, who is set to make the RadioShack squad aiming to help Armstrong win an unprecedented eighth Tour title, told reporters: "I had to change bike after the climb and I lost some 30 seconds.
"I was upset but (sports director) Alain Gallopin told me I was the fastest so I continued to go full gear."
Contador, who is using the Dauphine as part of his Tour de France preparations, was never in contention as he tried out his new time trial bike less than a month before the start of the world's greatest cycling race.
"I tried to make a regular effort but I quickly realized that it was not worth persisting on a tricky course, with roads in bad shape," Contador said.
"I had never seen so many sleeping policemen (speed bumps) on the road in a time trial. I would have had to take chances and I did not want to risk it all."
He lags 1:41 behind Brajkovic in fourth place overall but should be able to make up some lost time in the mountains, with Saturday's climb of the 21 hairpins to L'Alpe d'Huez.
Victory in the warmup race to the Tour, however, is not a priority for Contador, who is set to reach top form for the Tour.
"As I already said, the goal is not to win the Dauphine. I have always left the GC (general classification) to other riders here," said the Spaniard.
Millar, who is targeting overall victory, lies second, 36 seconds adrift of Brajkovic, and 14 ahead of the promising 21-year-old American Tejay van Garderen.
Slovenian Brajkovic clocked one hour, one minute and 51 seconds over 49km from Monteux to beat Briton David Millar by 26 seconds, with twice Tour de France champion Alberto Contador finishing a disappointing sixth, 1:46 behind.
It was a day to remember for RadioShack, after Spain's Haimar Zubeldia fractured his wrist in a massive crash in the Dauphine on Monday and is almost certainly ruled out of next month's Tour.
Last week, Sebastien Rosseler was hit by a car during training in Belgium and the Swiss is also unlikely to ride the Tour.
Brajkovic, who started the day five seconds behind Spaniard Contador, proved strong in the third-category climb to the Cote de la Roque sur Pernes, smart in the descent and steady in the final 20km.
"(...) Superb win in the time trial in Dauphine. Tappa e maglia! (stage and jersey)," RadioShack team boss Johan Bruyneel said on his Twitter feed.
Brajkovic, who is set to make the RadioShack squad aiming to help Armstrong win an unprecedented eighth Tour title, told reporters: "I had to change bike after the climb and I lost some 30 seconds.
"I was upset but (sports director) Alain Gallopin told me I was the fastest so I continued to go full gear."
Contador, who is using the Dauphine as part of his Tour de France preparations, was never in contention as he tried out his new time trial bike less than a month before the start of the world's greatest cycling race.
"I tried to make a regular effort but I quickly realized that it was not worth persisting on a tricky course, with roads in bad shape," Contador said.
"I had never seen so many sleeping policemen (speed bumps) on the road in a time trial. I would have had to take chances and I did not want to risk it all."
He lags 1:41 behind Brajkovic in fourth place overall but should be able to make up some lost time in the mountains, with Saturday's climb of the 21 hairpins to L'Alpe d'Huez.
Victory in the warmup race to the Tour, however, is not a priority for Contador, who is set to reach top form for the Tour.
"As I already said, the goal is not to win the Dauphine. I have always left the GC (general classification) to other riders here," said the Spaniard.
Millar, who is targeting overall victory, lies second, 36 seconds adrift of Brajkovic, and 14 ahead of the promising 21-year-old American Tejay van Garderen.
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