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Only an extraordinary Pablo Lastras could steal today the joy of victory from Sylvain Chavanel. The French champion scored second place in this challenging stage from Petrer to Totana, made all the more gruelling by the terrible heat that's been a constant in this Vuelta. For his excellent performance today Chavanel won the prize for combativeness. 

Sylvain Chavanel 
"Today I had a great race. I spurred the break right from the start. I knew that with this heat it would be hard for the group to stay in control. We collaborated really well until the last climb. At 600 metres from the top of Alto de la Santa Lastras took off. I couldn't follow him because I was starting to get cramps. On the slight rise towards the arrival I gave it everything I had to catch up to Lastras. However there wasn't much collaboration with Pidgornyy and Irizar. When we got to within 9 seconds from Lastras with only 3 km to go to the finish line we started sizing each other up and Lastras gained a few seconds advantage. It wasn't up to me to do all the work to catch up. I wanted to win the stage and often in order to win you have to risk losing. I gave it everything I had, I couldn't have done more. Anyway, I'm happy with my form, I feel good and I'm going to try again. Congratulations to Pablo. He was the strongest today and he's a great rider."

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By Miffy Galloway for The Cycling Tribe

Firstly, congratulations on recently receiving a scholarship with the ACT Academy of Sport. Based on the fantastic results you have achieved this year thus far, it was only a matter of time! How would you describe this first half of your season?

The past 12 months have been a whirlwind. When I first approached my coach John Forrest about joining his squad he banned me from running. I had been involved in the sport since Little Athletics and more recently competed as a triathlete so that was a pretty big ask – especially as I was also managing a running shop! I think he had a few other young female athletes who had attempted the talent transfer but were not prepared to hang up the running shoes. I have been 100% committed to this from the start and have been guided by my coach and ACTAS head cycling coach Glenn Doney through the process. I knew that if I produced the results then the rewards would come. It has been nice to be recognised and now be ‘on the radar’.

Based on these strong performances, you were also selected to participate in a gruelling 10-day selection camp for the Women’s Jayco Development team here in Canberra. The camp was designed to test the mental and physical strength of the riders and prepare them for what life is like on the road in Europe. What were your experiences of the camp? Did it deter you at all or simply make you hungrier to explore the European racing scene?

The camp was interesting. I have no idea how I survived it – but I am so grateful that I did. I was very unprepared for the camp. We had some idea about what to expect and knew that the AIS had liaised with the Australian Defence Force in designing our challenges. The camp was loosely modelled off the SAS Special Forces selection course with the constant threat of being sent home if we failed a challenge. I felt like I was on a reality television show – something like The Biggest Loser meets Survivor – except we didn’t have the opportunity to vote other cyclists out. I found the experience very draining, as our every move was being assessed and judged. Maybe there was an element of Search For A Supermodel in there too! We had a daily debrief which I found very confrontational and probably just as challenging as the actual training sessions, which were epic. I guess the plane ticket to Europe was very motivating. It was disappointing not to get selected for the Jayco Academy but the camp gave me the chance to meet the National Head Coach Martin Barras who reassured me I had everything required – I just wasn’t ready. He gave me a few little technical things to work on and hopefully this time next year I will be racing with the squad overseas.

You describe yourself as a runner-turned-triathlete-turned-cyclist and have even dabbled in basketball in Europe. What was the driving force behind the change in sports, given that you experienced quite a lot of success in each?

It seems like the running, triathlon, cycling thing has been a natural progression. I am very young in cycling years but I think a lot of my strength on the bike comes from a big base as a junior track runner doing lots of short, explosive efforts and lots of lactic tolerance work. It also helps that my physiology means I build muscle quite easily. I find it empowering that I chose cycling – it didn’t choose me. So many people fall into certain sports because they are injured or someone convinces them to switch. I loved triathlon but I was training twice a day without the prospect of turning pro. You spend so much time, energy and money on a sport and I couldn’t justify continuing triathlon when all I was going to be was a top Australian age-group competitor.''

Do you think you have finally found your chosen sport? Or do you see yourself switching sports again, even as a personal challenge?

I think I have finally found a sport I am good at! Everyone tells me that I will go back – especially to triathlon. Though I have never had the urge to do a marathon or ironman so there is no plan to make a comeback. Hopefully I will tick off all the goals in cycling and then be happy to move onto other life goals like having a family.

You have proven yourself to be a pretty handy bike rider, most recently winning the time trial at the 2011 Loop Canberra Tour where you also placed a very impressive 2^nd overall, what are your goals and ambitions in cycling?

I have always wanted to go to the Olympics but in my previous sports it was never a realistic goal. Having already ridden myself into the top-10 time trialists in the country I can now see that the Olympics is something for me to work towards. It seems ridiculous to say that is my goal given I am so new to the sport but if I continue to improve and train consistently there is no reason I couldn’t be among the top time trial riders in Australia and get selected for World Championships, the Commonwealth Games and Olympic Games.

What has been your most memorable sporting moment, in any sport?

In January this year I raced in the Rendition Homes-Santos Cup criterium in Adelaide, which was the curtain raiser for the Tour Down Under. The crowd was insane. I finished 13th in the bunch sprint which is nothing spectacular but the experience of racing on the same circuit as the men with the accompanying media and spectators was awesome.

Although cycling is perceived largely as an individual sport, strong performances are largely a result of a combined effort on behalf of a team. You are riding on behalf of arguably one of the strongest Australian domestic women’s teams in Team Suzuki, what has it been like riding with such a strong team of girls? What do you perceive your role in the team to be?

I am relatively new to Team Suzuki. I was invited to be a guest rider for the first two National Road Series events this year and I guess I did enough to prove to them that I deserved a permanent spot for the rest of the domestic season. I am very grateful for their support. The team operates so professionally and lots of staff work voluntarily behind the scenes so we can do what we love. Our team manager had a dilemma at the last Tour because we didn’t have a standout GC rider. I guess that’s a great position to be in when you have such a strong team of talented women that any one of us could be riding for GC. I am relatively new to the concept of racing for a team. I usually race the Tours for a good TT result and then do what I am told for the road stages – which often involves getting myself over the hills and working hard for someone else.

Somehow in between achieving outstanding results on the sporting field, rumour has it that you have also managed to complete a Bachelor of Sports Media at the University of Canberra, topping a few of your units in the process. How did you manage to balance the demands of study yet still find time to do the training required to be competitive at the elite level? What advice would you have to anyone else trying to do the same?

That’s no rumour – I have the framed degree on my wall to prove it! I actually won the Wide World of Sports (Channel Nine) award for the top graduating student in my class. I wouldn’t say that I was elite during those years. I competed as a track runner at the national level but my focus was definitely on my uni studies. You obviously have to love what you are doing. There are so many sacrifices, especially with all the peripheral distractions of a uni student, but it is rewarding to actually complete something.

A lot of people would argue that they’d rather be spending hours out training than studying the books, what additional benefits do you think having a University degree give you?

I feel like I have done things in reverse – got the education first and then focused on sport. Most young kids are living only for now and I worry that they won’t have anything to fall back on should they not get signed to the professional peloton. I guess it is different for female cyclists because you can enter the sport late and still be racing internationally for a professional team whereas if the men haven’t been picked-up by the time they’re out of under-23s then it is unlikely to happen for them. Most employers require you to have a degree, even if the job is not in your specific area of qualification. In my experience that piece of paper generally enables you to earn more money, which means you can work fewer hours to survive and sustain the semi-pro cycling lifestyle.

When not on the bike, how do you spend your time?

Earning money keeps me pretty busy. I am currently in a transition period having only last week left my job at The Runners Shop after four years as Store Manager. I am also a freelance journalist and have a night job rewriting media releases for an online publication. This week I will start a part-time role in the public service, which will hopefully give me a bit more time to train and focus on recovery. I also love blogging – writing them and reading them. And I love looking at photos so spend a lot of time perusing the various cycling websites for race reviews and results.

What is your favourite ride in Canberra?

Any ride that involves a brew stop after! We are so lucky to have such great roads and group rides and talented people to train with. I have only done it a few times but the Velo Ride on Sunday morning is fast becoming one of my favourites. They do a great hot chocolate and the best banana bread, which you need to fuel you for extras of Cotter-Uriarra with the boys after.

What do you believe is the ultimate coffee shop : ride ratio?

I know that chamois time is training time but sometimes you just want to get the ride done, have your brew and get home. It does depend largely on the company and the conditions. When I was a triathlete there was a compulsory coffee shop stop but now that things are a bit more serious in cycling, we often do our motorpace or TT session without the hot chocolate to motivate you.

A question that intrigues most people – what exactly do girls talk about on bunch rides?

Well we don’t debate politics or current world events…

What can we expect to see from Beck for the remainder of the season?

Hopefully I can stay healthy and injury free so I can have a crack at the NRS series. I am in second overall and there are a few races that will really suit me later in the season. It would be nice to actually win a race! Though a lot of my focus will be towards the National Time Trial Championships in January next year.

Best of luck for the up and coming DBR Canberra Junior and Women’s Tour – we will no doubt be seeing your name at the top of the results list!

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6 July 2011 -Team RadioShack's Jani Brajkovic (27) suffered a race-ending injury in a day filled with more than ten crashes in Wednesday's stage 5 of the Tour de France.  Brajkovic touched wheels with another cyclist on the narrow roads of northern France and came down hard on the pavement, appearing to be momentarily knocked out.   He was transported by ambulance to the hospital in Guingamp where a fracture in the lateral third part of the left collarbone and a brain concussion were diagnosed.

"I don't remember anything of the crash," said Jani Brajkovic. "I remember the moment I was about to crash and then the next thing I remember was our team doctor asking me if I thought I could continue.  But I wasn't aware of where I was and which race I was in.  Nothing.  So it was clear that I had to go to the hospital.  Obviously I am super disappointed with this.  This is the worst case scenario for me.  My entire year was focused on this Tour de France and now after five days it's over.   But on the other hand, I think I can recover pretty fast and go for the Vuelta and get results there.  But still, the Tour de France is something special and it's very hard for me and for my heart.  It's very sad."

"It's too bad because we started with four guys for GC and wanted to try to keep those four guys until we reached the mountains," said Team Manager Johan Bruyneel after the stage.  "At the same time, this is the Tour de France and riders were nervous all day.  Levi was in a crash.  Horner had a wheel change and was in the back by himself.  Then Jani crashed.  Popo waited for him but later he crashed with an ambulance.  So at one point we had half of the team at the back.  Now we've lost Jani, one of our protected riders, which is a shame.  But that's the way it is in racing. Truthfully it could have been worse," Bruyneel concluded.

Jani Brajkovic had targeted this year's Tour de France in his year-long racing program and came to the start as one of four protected riders for Team RadioShack, along with Chris Horner, Levi Leipheimer and Andreas Klöden.  Brajkovic recently won the Slovenian time trial championships and brought good form to this year's Tour.  In 2010 Brajkovic won the prestigious Critérium du Dauphiné in front of Alberto Contador.  

"I know it's just words, but after yesterday's stage I knew I could do my part in this year's Tour," said a clearly disappointed Brajkovic from the hospital. "The doctor says if they insert a pin in my collarbone I could ride very quickly, after a few days, but my head needs a few more days, so I'd say I might be back on the rollers in another five days and after that go day-by-day to see how I'm feeling.  I might be on the road a few days after that."

Levi Leipheimer and Yaroslav Popovych crashed too. Both riders suffer from a contusion of the wrist (Leipheimer left wrist, Popovych right wrist). Popovych's swollen wrist was examined in the hospital of Saint-Brieuc where no fracture was diagnosed. Both riders are expected to be able to start in Tour de France's sixth stage from Dinan to Lisieux.

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Mont des Alouettes, France

Tour de France, Stage 1: Evans Impresses

Cadel Evans stormed to a runner-up finish for the BMC Racing Team on Saturday's opening stage of the Tour de France on a day when several pre-race favorites lost time in late-race crash.

Perfectly Positioned

Evans and several of his teammates escaped a large pile-up when a rider struck a spectator inside the final nine kilometers of the 191.5 km race. With Marcus Burghardt and George Hincapie forcing the pace at the front, the gap to the peloton quickly grew from 32 seconds to more than a minute. At the finish, Evans finished alone, three seconds behind stage winner Philippe Gilbert (Omega Pharma-Lotto), and three seconds ahead of a smaller group. "George helped me really well going into the bottom of the climb and I was really perfectly positioned," Evans said. "I thought I would go conservatively but then a Katusha or Astana rider attacked and I got a bit closed in. I tried to go across to Gilbert, but it was just a little bit too late."

Team Time Trial Next

Evans said he is looking forward to Sunday's 23 km team time trial. "It's going to be another important test," he said. "Hopefully we can have a repeat of gaining seconds today. That would be the ultimate." Although several BMC Racing Team riders were caught up in the big crash and a smaller one with two kilometers to go, none were seriously hurt.

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Aliaksandr Kuchynski brought one more victory to his team “Katusha” this month – he won road race of Belarusian National Championships for second year in a row.

The race, held in Mozyr, was a hard one with a lot of climbs and, consequently, a lot of attacks. Among the most active riders were Aliaksandr Kuchynski and Konstantin Sivtsov from “HTC-Highroad”, 10th at “Giro d’Italia-2011”.

But, finally, a group of four came to finish line. In the sprint, Aliaksandr Kuchynski was the rider who won, taking his second gold medal in a row in Belarus.

“The race was very tough, I think the hardest possible in Belarus. Maybe, the distance was similar of a Belgian race with a lot of short but strong climbs. The main favorite of the race, of course, was Sivtsov, who came after a good 10th place at “Giro”. But, for me this distance suits very much, because I like Belgian races and I can show good results in such races. At the finish a lot of riders attacked, but, finally, in the sprint from a leader’s group I won. I am very glad for this victory, because I hoped to hold the jersey in “Katusha Team” and I did it. Now, I will have some rest and after it, will start to prepare for second part of season” -said Aliaksandr Kuchynski.

Second place in Belarus was Konstantin Sivtsov, while third was Bronislav Samoilau from “Movistar Team”.

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Katusha Team successfully ended its perfect Russian National Road Championships in Ufa overnight. After a win of Ignatyev and second place of Karpets in the individual time trial, “Katusha” took the whole podium in the road race.

New Russian RR Champion is Pavel Brutt, second place was Eduard Vorganov, while Yuri Trofimov completed the podium.

From the beginning  till the end of the 190km, “Katusha” controlled the peloton and did everything needed for a victory. The most important moment of the race was the solo attack of Pavel Brutt with 30 km to go. Taking just 20 second in the first 2 km of the escape, Brutt had a good advantage during the last 20 kilometers. Finally, Pavel finished alone, taking his first Russian tricolor jersey.
After almost 1 minute Eduard Vorganov and Yuri Trofimov in the sprint, took silver and bronze, respectively.

The race was tough enough for me because of the rain and strong relief. However, the team did a perfect job for me, giving a possibility to attack at the right moment for a victory. For me this is the first title of my career, so I am very happy with it. Especially, I am glad to hold the jersey in “Katusha”. This is important for our Project, - said Pavel Brutt.

Egor Silin, Alexander Kolobnev and Vladimir Gusev completed full dominance of “Katusha Team” in Ufa with their 4th, 5th and 6th positions, respectively

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SSIA - Team Katusha encores at the Russian National Championships: after the win by Anton Vorobyev in the Under 23 ITT, Mikhail Ignatyev obtains the success in the Elite ITT. In a 45-kms-long course, Ignatyev recorded the best performance, stopping the clock at 55'25''. To confirm the Team Katusha predominance, second place for Vladimir Karpets, 18'' far from the winner, while Artem Ovechkin closed at the 4th position, with +45''.

MOLDOVA - Today, in Chisinau, at Braila - Horesti the road race of Moldavian Road Championships was held. For the second time in a row and for the third time in his career, Alexandr Pliuschin from "Katusha Team" became Moldavian RR Champion.
Pliuschin attacked after 80 km of distance to do a decisive advantage, holding it till the finish line. Finally, Alex Pliuschin took a solo victory, bringing the first champion´s jersey to "Katusha Team".

Second place and, respectively, silver medal took Oleg Berdos from "De Rosa Ceramica Flaminia", who outsprinted Sergiu Cioban from "Tusnad Cycling Team" and Victor Mironov from "CTN Moldova".

“Today it was 35 degrees, so it was hot day. I knew that finish line was perfect plane, so I attacked to avoid the massive sprint, which, finally was realised, but only for 2 - 3 places. I am satisfied with my performance and happy to hold Moldavian champion´s jersey in Katusha” - said Alexandr Pliuschin.

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Today the 56th edition of the Belgian one-day race "Ruddervoorde Koerse" took place. Team Katusha was the protagonist of a brilliant race, putting two of its rider between the top-5: the Belgian Stijn Vandenbergh reached the podium, in third position; while Denis Galimzyanov cut the finishing line at 5th place. With 25 kms to go there was the topic moment of the race: 4 riders, between whom Vandenbergh himself, try the breakaway, reaching a 45'' maximum gap. Team Katusha puts his riders to pull the followers group, in order to reach the escapers and allow Galimzyanov to try to win with a lock step final sprint. But, despite the great work by Vladimir Isaychev, Alexander Porsev and Maxime Vantomme, the breakaway group was able to resist and cut the finishing line with less than 30 metres ahead of the main group. The Dutch rider Dirk Bellemakers (Landbouwkrediet) wins the final sprint, defeating Rob Ruijgh (Vacansoleil) and Vandenbergh himself. Galimzyanov wins the followers group sprint, and he's fifth.

"It was a real pity - says the Sport Director Bart Leysen - we had the potential to win this race. Unfortunately we were not able for a mere nothing to reach the breakaway group and win at the final sprint with Galimzyanov, but our team was made by only 5 riders, and with Vandenbergh between the escapers, we had only three riders left to pull the followers group: despite the huge work, they were too few compared with the other team that, thanks to the special regulations of 'Ruddervoorde Koerse', took part to this competition with something like 15 riders. Our rivals knew our team had the forerunners, so they made the race against us. It's a pity, but tomorrow for 'Halle Ingooigem' we'll try to make up for the lost chance".

Q. Joaquin, congratulations on winning the World #1 Ranking for 2010! What does it mean to you to win this title?