As the breakaway took more than 15 minutes, I decided to put my men in the chase. Roelandts told me I'll be a great leader one day, he says the riders all listen to me, I'm glad to hear that! And I'm very thankful that they did all this work for me.
And at 34km left to go, I went, in the downhill. A small group containing Chavanel followed in my slipstream.
But it was over pretty soon and I started to get ready for a grand finale, because the final hill, as I remember from last year, is steep and deadly. You can easily lose some seconds. Can't afford many seconds, so I tried to stay in front of the peloton, I was dying it was so hard!
Then came the finale, and it was just as horrible as I remembered, crowded, small, steep, you can't get an overview of what's happening. I noticed Rodriguez shooting out of the peloton like a rocket. No matter, I'll take seconds back on him in the time trial.
But a Belgian takes the win, Ben Hermans, what a show of power! I really must congratulate him with this beautiful, deserved win. He beat Rodriguez just by a couple cm. I did fine, coming in 10th and not losing too much time. Considering the energy I wasted in the attack, that's more than decent.
Result
1
Ben Hermans
Radioshack Nissan Trek
7h22'54
2
Joaquin Rodriguez
Katusha Team
s.t.
3
Igor Anton
Euskaltel Euskadi
+ 16
4
Greg Van Avermaet
BMC Racing Team
s.t.
5
Enrico Gasparotto
Astana Pro Team
+ 24
6
Damiano Cunego
Lampre-ISD
s.t.
7
Sylvain Chavanel
Omega Pharma-Quick-Step Cycling Team
s.t.
8
Edvald Boasson Hagen
Sky Pro Cycling
s.t.
9
Haimar Zubeldia
Radioshack Nissan Trek
s.t.
10
Eric Lombaerts
Lotto-Belisol
s.t.
IanButler
GC
1
Ben Hermans
Radioshack Nissan Trek
20h59'50
2
Joaquin Rodriguez
Katusha Team
+ 4
3
Igor Anton
Euskaltel Euskadi
+ 22
4
Edvald Boasson Hagen
Sky Pro Cycling
+ 24
5
Greg Van Avermaet
BMC Racing Team
+ 26
6
Thomas Voeckler
Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
+ 28
7
Simone Ponzi
Astana Pro Team
+ 34
8
Enrico Gasparotto
Astana Pro Team
s.t.
9
Sebastian Langeveld
Orica-GreenEDGE
s.t.
10
Damiano Cunego
Lampre-ISD
s.t.
11
Sylvain Chavanel
Omega Pharma-Quick-Step Cycling Team
s.t.
12
Rui Costa
Movistar Team
s.t.
13
Diego Ulissi
Lampre-ISD
s.t.
14
Stijn Devolder
Radioshack Nissan Trek
s.t.
15
Bauke Mollema
Rabobank Cycling Team
s.t.
16
Fredrik Kessiakoff
Astana Pro Team
s.t.
17
Eric Lombaerts
Lotto-Belisol
s.t.
IanButler
18
Haimar Zubeldia
Radioshack Nissan Trek
s.t.
19
Francesco Ginanni
Acqua & Sapone
+ 1'37
20
Alexandre Vinokourov
Astana Pro Team
s.t.
Tomorrow I should be able to lose some of these guys in the GC, as we ride the only real mountain stage, so stay tuned!
Paris - Nice
Stijn Van Gent
Just the final day before the mountain time trial, Jurgen took a beating.
Points Jersey: Philippe Gilbert
Mountain Jersey: Alejandro Valverde
Jurgen just missed out on a top 10, and that's another blow for the team. The Schlecks dominated this Paris - Nice. Riders that surprisingly failed here in this mini-tour are Bradley Wiggins, Tejay Van Garderen, Robert Gesink, Michele Scarponi...
Well, at least I'm not the only one off to a bad start, it looks like the entire team is cursed or something. Maybe it's the loss of Greipel? I hope we'll come back stronger. And there's still hope in Italy of course, where Eric may well just be the rider that saves our early season!
I wanted to race the mountain stage of Tirreno - Adriatico but for some reason it won't load. I really want to ride it instead of simulating so I'll give my computer a rest, go to the movies and try again tomorrow!
I hope so, too! Will test it first thing in the morning. Otherwise it's simulating and hoping for a good result, but not a win (I want to be there with all of their wins, how crazy that may sound)
Maybe I could try riding the stage in lesser graphics?
Anyway, will try tomorrow, maybe it was just nothing!
The queen stage! This time I'm ready for the incredibly steep and difficult final climb. De Gendt clearly didn't have the best winter, and I'm in the shape of my life, so today I could make things happen!
Kaisen went with the breakaway, which gave our team some rest. It was up to others to work.
Anton must be good, because Euskaltel worked hard to reel in the breakaway.
But on the first climb of the day it was Rodriguez who opened fire! Cunego went with him.
Rodriguez got caught in the descend and going to the final climb, only Cunego was ahead of a small peloton.
The first km of the final climb are the hardest. So that was my cue! I pulled all my strength together and left everyone in my dust!
I went over Cunego, who had overestimated himself and had blown his legs.
A couple of guys started to chase as the peloton fell apart. Names of chasers are: Rodriguez, Anton, Costa, Quintana.
But I never planned on slowing down, I just kept going, and the crowd kept me going. I was riding on pure adrenaline!
Rodriguez tried to make the jump but his legs gave up halfway, I was too far ahead and still going strong!
I did it! I won the queen stage in Tirreno - Adriatico, it's unbelievable!
This is one of the best days ever in my career. I gave the entire team a reason to celebrate, I've proven that I wasn't a lucky guy last year, but I really have skill. My training from the winter wasn't in vain! I beat guys like Rodriguez, De Gendt, Mollema, all square and fair in an uphill finish!
Result
1
Eric Lombaerts
Lotto-Belisol
5h57'18
IanButler
2
Joaquin Rodriguez
Katusha Team
+ 1'03
3
Igor Anton
Euskaltel Euskadi
+ 2'09
4
Nairo Quintana
Movistar Team
s.t.
5
Gianluca Brambilla
Colnago - CSF Inox
+ 2'50
6
Rui Costa
Movistar Team
+ 3'04
7
Domenico Pozzovivo
Colnago - CSF Inox
s.t.
8
Thomas De Gendt
Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
s.t.
9
Damiano Cunego
Lampre-ISD
+ 3'22
10
Haimar Zubeldia
Radioshack Nissan Trek
+ 3'30
11
Fredrik Kessiakoff
Astana Pro Team
+ 4'08
12
Edvald Boasson Hagen
Sky Pro Cycling
s.t.
13
Oliver Zaugg
Radioshack Nissan Trek
s.t.
14
Bauke Mollema
Rabobank Cycling Team
+ 5'05
15
David López GarcÃa
Movistar Team
+ 5'17
16
Damiano Caruso
Liquigas-Cannondale
s.t.
17
Eros Capecchi
Liquigas-Cannondale
+ 5'38
18
Carlos Castaño Panadero
Euskaltel Euskadi
s.t.
19
Rigoberto Uran
Sky Pro Cycling
+ 6'24
20
Jakob Fuglsang
Radioshack Nissan Trek
s.t.
GC
1
Eric Lombaerts
Lotto-Belisol
26h57'32
IanButler
2
Joaquin Rodriguez
Katusha Team
+ 34
3
Igor Anton
Euskaltel Euskadi
+ 2'03
4
Rui Costa
Movistar Team
+ 3'12
5
Damiano Cunego
Lampre-ISD
+ 3'32
6
Haimar Zubeldia
Radioshack Nissan Trek
+ 3'40
7
Edvald Boasson Hagen
Sky Pro Cycling
+ 4'08
8
Fredrik Kessiakoff
Astana Pro Team
+ 4'18
9
Gianluca Brambilla
Colnago - CSF Inox
+ 5'01
10
Bauke Mollema
Rabobank Cycling Team
+ 5'14
What's left now is a hilly stage, where Rodriguez will surely try to get back at me, and a time trial, where I should be one of the strongest of the GC contenders.
Well, today was the day I payed the prize for my exploits of yesterday. On this hilly stage, Rodriguez was lurking to get into the leader jersey.
The entire team worked hard today, even Renshaw worked a great deal on this hilly terrain.
However, with 20km left to go, all I had left was Roelandts.
Rodriguez had been waiting for this and attacked, what a tactical one!
I tried to follow him, but he's just a cut above me today, I'm better at mountains than at hills, with him it's just opposite.
So I went hunting, along with Anton, Chavanel and others.
Rodriguez caught the breakaway group and sprinted towards the finishing line while I was dying on my bike, praying that the finish came as soon as possible. Bye, bye, leader jersey.
Machado won, in front of Feillu and Rodriguez. I lose a minute.
Today was D-Day for me. It didn't really hit me until this morning: but I can actually win a ProTour stage race here today. A 22 year old, winning in Tirreno - Adriatico, imagine that?
The profile was flat, which was good for me. I can ride time trials well, while Rodriguez would've preferred a hilly time trial.
De Gendt continues to disappoint and he won't even end in top 10 here today. Maybe he's aiming all his arrows on TDF later this season.
Then I was off, I had 9.4km to reach out and get 30 seconds on my biggest opponent.
I lost 19 seconds on Boasson Hagen. That was a pretty good time, a second better than De Gendt.
Then it was up to
Rodriguez
. Luckily I didn't have to wait long, but it seemed like an eternity...
He comes in at 53 seconds behind Boasson Hagen. Math isn't my strongest skill, but wait a minute... 53-19... Doesn't that equal 34 seconds?
I DID IT! Glory is to be mine! At 22 years, I win Tirreno - Adriatico, in front of Rodriguez and Anton!
This is too much. This is the greatest victory in my career yet. The team is real happy about it, too, and why shouldn't they be? I just won them a lot of money, publicity, UCI points and my contract goes to 2015, they have a lot of reasons to be happy!
Now it's a matter of taking care of business, the management says. They'll have to find a place for me in the team, maybe as a co-leader in some races. The schedule for this season won't change, but I might get another shot at the Giro next year. Although all of this is great, I'm just happy about today, and I can't wait to see what else I can pull off!
I'm going on a little break now and I'll be back to assist Jelle in the classics, Stijn will start the cobbled season soon, so let's hope he does well! This year could just be the breakthrough year of the both of us!
