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Córdoba, Spain

Vuelta a España, Stage 6: Kohler Most Aggressive

Martin Kohler of the BMC Racing Team earned the Vuelta a España's most aggressive rider honors Thursday while teammate Mathias Frank survived a crash and Johann Tschopp withdrew due to fatigue.

Kohler: 'Won't Be The Last Time'

Kohler was part of a four-man breakaway that gained as much as an eight-minute lead. With the gap to the chasing pack down to a minute and only 31 kilometers left in the 193.4 km race, Kohler ventured off alone. He was caught five kilometers later. "I was trying the whole day to make the breakaway," he said. "Unfortunately, we were only four riders and not the strongest ones from the peloton. But it's a three-week race and there are more days to come. So it won't be the last time I'm in the breakaway." Frank crashed after 70 kilometers when an official motorbike couldn't make a sharp right turn. "I went down on my hip and elbow and it hurt pretty bad at the beginning, but as I kept riding, it got better," Frank said. Peter Sagan led a 1-3-4-5 finish for Liquigas-Cannondale while Sylvain Chavanel (Quickstep) kept the overall lead.

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Team Sky’s Edvald Boasson Hagen maintained his overall lead at the Eneco Tour as Matteo Bono (Lampre-ISD) won the fifth stage after a three-man break just stayed clear.

 

The penultimate stage of the race, a 189.2 kilometres route starting and finishing in Genk, saw Boasson Hagen successfully defending a lead of 12 seconds in what proved a fascinating tactical battle.

 

The escape group held off the main pack by just six seconds, with Bono edging out Sergey Renev (Astana) and Artem Ovechkin (Katusha).

 

All the overall contenders came in together, meaning that Boasson Hagen retains his 12 seconds GC advantage over Philippe Gilbert (Omega Pharma-Lotto), with David Millar (Garmin-Cervelo) still 18 seconds back in third and Taylor Phinney (BMC Racing) now 25 seconds down in fourth.

 

Boasson Hagen not only keeps the overall lead but also continues to head the other two classifications - the red points jersey and the young rider's green jersey.

 

There is still plenty of work to do as the race comes down to the wire in Holland on Sunday over a 201.2km route around Sittard-Geleen. A whole series of short, sharp climbs - no fewer than 22 - await the riders as the day covers much of the ground of the Amstel Gold Race.

 

That was underlined by Team Sky Sports Director Servais Knaven who said: "Many of the climbs are the same but potentially the crucial difference is that Amstel finishes on the Cauberg whereas we pass the Cauberg with 60k to go tomorrow.

 

"And those 60k are probably among the easiest kilometres of the whole stage. So the hardest part is in the middle before it flattens out a bit. It’s going to take a lot of energy to control the race tomorrow but the final looks a little bit easier so we have to try and have enough riders for those last 60 kilometres.

 

"They all did a big effort today – especially Christian [Knees] and Mathew [Hayman] who did an excellent job – but everyone is incredibly excited and motivated to make sure we bring home the jersey tomorrow. That’s our one goal and we’ll be going 100% for that."

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BMC Racing Team's Taylor Phinney crept a bit closer to the lead Saturday at the Eneco Tour of Benelux, taking two seconds in a bonus sprint early in the rainy stage in which he scored his fifth top 10 finish in six days.

Familiar Territory For Kroon
With one stage to go, Phinney is seven seconds behind third-placed David Millar (Garmin-Cervélo) and 25 seconds behind race leader Edvald Boasson Hagen (Sky Pro Cycling). Phinney finished 10th in the 189.2 kilometer stage won in a two-up sprint by Matteo Bono (Lampre-ISD). Teammate Karsten Kroon, who trains frequently on the roads of the course, hoped his knowledge would help Phinney gain time with 30 km to go. "We were on a big road where it takes a sharp turn into a small road that's very winding before you hit the top where it's wide open," Kroon said. "It would have been a great place to split the field, but we were unlucky because there was no wind. Otherwise the field would have totally split." Sunday's final 201.2 km stage follows many of the same roads used in the Amstel Gold race. BMC Racing Team Assistant Director Rik Verbrugghe said: "If it's bad weather and raining, it could be a hard day tomorrow."

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Eneco Tour, Stage 2: Phinney Keeps The Lead

BMC Racing Team's Taylor Phinney finished sixth Wednesday to retain his lead at the Eneco Tour of Benelux, but his advantage over second place was cut from seven to three seconds. 

Tougher Stage Awaits
André Greipel (Omega Pharma-Lotto) won his second straight stage but Edvald Boasson Hagen (Sky Pro Cycling) finished third in the 173.7 kilometer race to take a four-second time bonus. "It was a really nervous day, but the team took really good care of me," Phinney said. "I was hoping to pay them back at the finish with a top five or top three placing. Unfortunately, I conceded some time, which was not part of the plan, but the team is really strong. I'm confident in my legs and looking forward to tomorrow." BMC Racing Team Assistant Director Fabio Baldato said Thursday's 191.2 km undulating stage will be Phinney's greatest test since he took the lead with a win in the prologue. "Tomorrow will be much more difficult," Baldato said. "We hope Taylor keeps riding well and receiving good teamwork to keep the lead."

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Sint Willebrord, The Netherlands

Phinney Keeps Lead At Eneco Tour

Taylor Phinney stayed safe Tuesday on a crash-filled Stage 1 at the Eneco Tour of Benelux to keep his overall lead for the BMC Racing Team.

Thankful For Teamwork

Phinney avoided several pile-ups, including a large one in the middle of the field with one kilometer to go in the 192.1 km stage. The former U.S. national time trial champion even led out the sprint, finishing seventh to stage winner André Greipel (Omega Pharma-Lotto). "I was feeling good at the end," Phinney said. "Rabobank made a big push to try and split the field and I was right up there with great help from Greg Van Avermaet and Karsten Kroon in the final. We had (Michael) Schär, (Johann) Tschopp and (Simon) Zahner on the front all day. And Steve Morabito and Yannick Eijssen also did great work. I'm really thankful to them for all their help today." Assistant Director Rik Verbrugghe said the BMC Racing Team was strong in helping pull back a breakaway that gained a more than four minutes' lead. "The guys did a good job to close the gap, along with Garmin-Cervélo and Sky," Verbrugghe said. "It was really dangerous with the roads today but we kept Taylor safe and that was 
most important."

 He is considered one of the most promising professional cyclists of his generation. But for Taylor Phinney, there will be no immediate pressure to perform in his first season with the BMC Racing Team.

Impressive Credentials

Only 20 years old, Phinney already has an impressive list of palmares. He is the current world Under 23 time trial champion and current U.S. national (elite) time trial champion. He also has two elite world pursuit championships (2009, 2010) to his credit, one junior world pursuit title (2008) and one junior world time trial championship (2007). The seven-time elite national champion on the track enjoyed phenomenal success on the road in 2010, winning four stages and the overall title at Holland's Olympia's Tour, in addition to his second straight victory at Paris-Roubaix Espoirs. He also won stages of the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah, the SRAM Tour of the Gila and the prologue of the Tour de l'Avenir.

Results Are Secondary

But when Phinney takes to the start line for his first race with the BMC Racing Team, President Jim Ochowicz said experience –not results – are what will count most. "For Taylor, it will be about understanding how the pro peloton races and what some of the nuances are around a ProTeam," Ochowicz said. "Obviously, the rookie year for him will be a lot of new territory. We want to get him the experience he needs, but not where it's going to cost him down the road."

No Pressure

BMC Racing Team Directeur Sportif John Lelangue also stresses the 6-foot-4, 180-pound native of Boulder, Colo., will be heavily mentored during an early-season schedule that includes the Tours of Qatar and Oman, Paris-Nice and the spring Classics. "Once his classics program is over, he'll go to the Amgen Tour of California to prepare for the U.S. national championships on the road and the time trial," Lelangue said. "This season will be all about getting experience. There will be no pressure. The other guys on the team are happy to help develop him."

Promoting The Sport

Phinney said it was important for him to become a part of a well-organized American team with a stable future. With the London Olympics ahead in 2012, he hopes he can continue to raise attention in the U.S. about cycling. "I'm always trying to bring new people into the sport," Phinney said. "Whether it means people are following me in the classics or if I'm going for prologues or time trials, it's not really about highlighting one certain type of race but highlighting the sport in general. I'm looking forward to being up there with the next big generation. Hopefully I can do my part."