The Coffee Ride #114, with Reece Homfray
ROHAN Dennis says he will spend the next fortnight “living on my time trial bike” after leaving the Tour de France to prepare for the Rio Olympics overnight.
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DENNIS HEADS HOME
ROHAN Dennis says he will spend the next fortnight “living on my time trial bike” after leaving the Tour de France to prepare for the Rio Olympics overnight.
His team, BMC, announced on the Tour’s second rest day that Dennis would not race the third and final week and instead return to Andorra to continue his training, which is geared towards the individual time trial in Brazil.
Last night Dennis said he was disappointed not to be making it to Paris with his teammates this Sunday but he understood it was in his best interests.
The Tour de France continues tonight and includes three tough mountain stages and an uphill individual time trial, which BMC says does not suit him.
“It would have been good to finish but I’ve got to look at what my big goal for the year is and that’s Rio,” Dennis said from Switzerland.
“That’s what I need to concentrate on and these extra days will help me freshen up and prepare.
“I’ll probably be living on my time trial bike, I will do some road rides but I’ve been doing that for the past two weeks.and my main goal is to perform in the time trial position in Rio.”
In its statement overnight, BMC said the first two weeks of the Tour de France had been “incredibly tough” and that Dennis had been an asset to the team working for leaders Richie Porte and Tejay van Garderen, but it had been decided that his best preparation would be done at home.
Dennis was fifth in the first individual time trial of the Tour, 1min 41 secs behind winner Tom Dumoulin who, along with Chris Froome, is likely to go to Rio as favourites in the time trial.
On Monday night’s Stage 18 into Bern, Dennis was riding the front of the peloton working for teammate Greg van Avermaet, who was 10th behind Peter Sagan
Also overnight, superstar British sprinter Mark Cavendish confirmed he was also out of the final week of the Tour so he could prepare to race the omnium on the track in Rio.
“After the heat and intensity of the previous stages, we analysed my fatigue levels and decided I’m at a point that would have a detrimental effect on my other big goal for the year, the Olympic Games,” Cavendish said in a statement.
MULTIPLE STARTERS ‘A LUXURY’
OLYMPIC gold medallist Mike Turtur says it is a luxury for Australia’s men’s team pursuit squad to have so much flexibility, including multiple guys who can ride first wheel in Rio next month.
Coach Tim Decker has opted for 19-year-old Callum Scotson and 20-year-old Sam Welsford to make their Olympic debut alongside experienced riders Jack Bobridge, Alex Edmondson and Michael Hepburn, while Glenn O’Shea is set to ride the omnium.
Almost all riders can start in any position on the track in the 4km race against the clock, which gives Decker plenty of options for qualifying and subsequent rounds.
Turtur was Australia’s team pursuit starter in 1984 when he and Dean Woods, Kevin Nichols and Michael Grenda beat the United States for gold at the Los Angeles Olympics.
“Starting in the team pursuit or positions one and two are critical because you’re exposed early,” Turtur said.
“It’s not only the exposure but the starter has to have a really good feel for tempo, they can’t go too quick, too slow, they have to create the right speed for the team in the first kilometre.
“It’s a luxury if you’ve got one good starter but if you’ve got two — I think it really opens the opportunities.
“And you’ve got guys like Hepburn, Bobridge and Edmondson who are capable of doing some big turns.”
Great Britain has won the men’s TP at the past two Games and set the world record, which still stands today, of 3mins 51.659 secs in London in 2012.
Turtur said he wouldn’t be surprised to see the time lowered again in Rio.
“I think track conditions and whether it’s humid or not (may influence that) but certainly the track looks all right and it wouldn’t surprise me if the record did go,” he said.
If you haven’t seen it, here’s footage of the 1984 team pursuit Olympic final.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjK6RphxCP0
ESTEBAN — GO YOU GOOD THING
THE Giro d’Italia finished two months ago but ‘Go Esteban’ can still be heard across Australia.
On Saturday it was at Rosehill racecourse in Sydney as Esteban won Race 4 over 2000m.
Despite what the name suggests, the three-year-old bay gelding doesn’t however belong to Orica-BikeExchange owner Gerry Ryan, who is also a big racing enthusiast.
Esteban is a New Zealand-bred horse and is trained by John Sargent at Randwick.
Esteban Chaves, the cyclist, hasn’t raced since finishing runner-up in the Giro but is due to resume in the Rio Olympic road race on August 6, which will be his only race before the Vuelta a Espana starts on August 20.
TDU ‘WALK OF FAME’
ADELAIDE City Council is proposing a “walk of fame” to honour Tour Down Under champions and the event’s most influential figures.
Reporter Sam Kelton from The Advertiser this week revealed councillor Natasha Malani would seek support from city hall to investigate a public arts work project which would coincide with the TDU’s 20th anniversary in 2018.
Ms Malani said the feature would also celebrate the contribution of the Tour Down Under and its substantial positive impact to Adelaide and the tourism industry.
“Given that people love the event so much it would be fitting to create a place where people can spend time to celebrate the achievements of the Tour Down Under winners and the event itself,” she said.
QUOTES OF THE WEEK ...
“I wouldn’t say the best is yet to come but I certainly feel as if I’m not like I was in the two previous editions — hanging on in the third week.”
- Chris Froome on the Tour de France’s second rest day.
“I think I’ve got everything to play for now, I’m not too far off podium. It’s a big goal so bring it on.”
- Richie Porte on the third and decisive week of the Tour de France.
“The worst thing about the streak is that I miss out on so many races. I feel like I’m trapped by it and that I sort of have to keep going.”
- Adam Hansen tells Velonews.com about his remarkable Grand Tour streak.
TWEET, TWEET
We remember Amy. Taken 11 years ago. Her legacy continues with our efforts to make cycling safer. #ametrematters pic.twitter.com/CyUqDgDFRZ
— Amy Gillett Found'n (@amygillettfdn) July 18, 2016
— The Amy Gillett Foundation and world cycling paused this week to remember Amy Gillett 11 years after her death.
Originally published as The Coffee Ride #114, with Reece Homfray
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