Tour Alsace stage 4b
29. July 2012
The Timetrial, the second semi stage of yesterday was really important to me. Since I always thought of myself as a bad timetrialist, I wanted to prove it to myself that I don’t always finish a TT on place 90.
My start was at 4:59pm. I had a good lunch in our team hotel and started there at three o’clock heading to Cernay.
I did not know the parcour but this wasn’t too important anyway since it didn’t feature too many corners. 17,7km starting on the one side of a hill, going up, and down on the other side of the hill making a small loop and than entering the village Hatmannswiller where the turning point was. Again on the same road but oposite direction up and than down to the finishline.
After an rather easy 45 minute warm up – I felt I didn’t need to go into the red zone – I had a good start without problems and than kept going for the next 17,7 kilometers at in my oppinion a really good rythmn.
By the time I finished, I took seventh place. Not to bad for me. I knew this would not last long but I was satisfied with a place in the first 40.
In the end I took 32 place with 1:19 behind the winner Ilnur Zakarin from Katusha.
I was satisfied with my result especially when I think about my shape which is by now far away from its best...
Unfortunately our GC man Alex „Jan“ Pliushin has had a puncture in the downhill sector four K’s to the finishline. By changing the bike he lost around 30 seconds which could have given him the leaders jersey before the last stage today.
But I still think he’ll make it today. He’s just so strong in the climbs right now and with a finish like today, there can’t be anybody in this peloton beating him.