Cancellara’s win lifts team
Pardon Fabian Cancellara if he looked a little scruffy on the winner’s podium after trading his world champion’s time trial rainbow stripes for the maillot jaune. “I would love to shave but I lost my luggage while flying to London on Wednesday,” Cancellara said, sporting a hint of a mustache and scruff on his chin. “I’m happy to be in the yellow jersey, but I’d love to have my luggage back!” The 26-year-old Swiss time machine has been three days without his razors and just about everything else except his Team CSC kit and his Cervélo time trial bike. That’s all he needed following his
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By Andrew Hood
Photo: Graham Watson
Pardon Fabian Cancellara if he looked a little scruffy on the winner’s podium after trading his world champion’s time trial rainbow stripes for the maillot jaune.
“I would love to shave but I lost my luggage while flying to London on Wednesday,” Cancellara said, sporting a hint of a mustache and scruff on his chin. “I’m happy to be in the yellow jersey, but I’d love to have my luggage back!”
The 26-year-old Swiss time machine has been three days without his razors and just about everything else except his Team CSC kit and his Cervélo time trial bike.
That’s all he needed following his crushing victory in Saturday’s 7.9km opening prologue.
His winning speed of 53.660kph was the third fastest in Tour history. Chris Boardman’s record prologue of 55.152kph set in 1994 was never in danger, but everyone else in the 189-rider peloton was left choking on his fumes.
The prologue victory is his second in four years. When he won in 2004 ahead of Lance Armstrong in Liège, Belgium, Cancellara was a promising, ambitious, yet largely unknown rider looking to leave his mark.
More mature, yet still ambitious, Cancellara roared into this year’s prologue determined to erase the disappointment of being left off Team CSC’s nine-man team for the 2006 Tour.
“It was a big difference when I won in Liège. No one knew me and no one expected me to win,” he said. “This time was different. Everyone called me the favorite and I had all the pressure. To win in London in the world champion’s jersey on 07-07-07, that makes it even better.”
| Fact file: Fabian Cancellara
Date of birth: March 18, 1981 Tour de France record 2007 season World Championships Other victories |
Cancellara’s resounding victory by a whopping 13 seconds (nearly two seconds per kilometer) helps bolster the team’s spirit following the decision of team manager Bjarne Riis to excuse himself from attending this year’s Tour.
The beleaguered Riis has been the center of controversy since admitting last month that he used EPO and other banned doping products en route to winning the 1996 Tour. Riis watched the opening ceremonies Friday evening in Trafalgar Square, but will not travel with the team during the three-week Tour.
“I think it is a demonstration of how the team is and how the team is going. Without Bjarne it’s different. It’s hard that he’s not here with us at the Tour,” Cancellara said. “We are holding up, we are bike riders and we are going to give the maximum. This was very important to show that we’re a strong team and for our sponsors, who have a headquarters here in London.”
Following pressure in the wake of last year’s Tour de France, when ex-CSC rider Ivan Basso was among nine riders kicked out of the race, Cancellara said he dropped controversial Italian trainer Luigi Cecchini.
He now works exclusively with Riis as his trainer and promises he races as a clean rider. Team CSC’s internal testing program has seen more than 400 urine and blood controls carried out in the months ahead of the Tour.
“I want to be an example for other riders and for the future. I am somebody who has always given the maximum for this sport,” he said. “I want to give a message because now we have to look to the future and move on. Maybe to do that here in London, maybe it’s a way to open the window on the future of cycling.”
Cancellara said he expects to be able to defend the yellow jersey at least through Sunday’s road stage to Canterbury. With such a large lead over the top sprinters (Thor Hushovd was 28th at 41 seconds), Cancellara’s yellow jersey is secure at least from time bonuses.
“We can race now with less pressure,” he said. “I trained to be strong for the entire Tour, not just in the prologue. I can maybe win another stage in the time trial, but I will also be helping the team and helping Carlos Sastre.”
Now if Cancellara could just find his luggage – he’d love to shave.
Cancellara: ‘I want to serve as an example’
Following are excerpts from the post-stage press conference with prologue winner Fabian Cancellara:
Question: What is the difference between winning in 2004 and this year?
Fabian Cancellara: The big difference was the pressure. I had the world-championship jersey on my shoulders and to be in London, it was impossible to have more pressure than that. Everyone was talking about me as the favorite and I was able to deliver. Today I thought that anything was possible.
Q: Things are going nicely for Swiss sport now, with you in yellow and Federer bucking for the Wimbledon title?
FC: The world of sport belongs to Switzerland right now. We won the America’s Cup and Federer can win Wimbledon again. I have the yellow jersey for the second time. It’s really big for sport in Switzerland, but unfortunately it’s not so good for us with soccer.
Q: What does your victory say in light of the doping scandals plaguing cycling?
FC: Everyone speaks about the problems in cycling. It’s normal that it’s difficult after what’s happened the past year. I want to be an example for other riders and for the future. I am somebody who has always given the maximum for this sport. I am no longer a young rider, but I want to be an example for the younger riders and for the future. When you really work hard in your sport, you can realize great things. I really wanted to win today and I trained the right way. I want to give a message because now we have to look to the future and move on. Maybe to do that here in London, maybe it’s a way to open the window on the future of cycling.
Q: Last year after the Puerto scandal, you were forced to stop working with trainer Luigi Cecchini; who do you work with now and what does your victory come from?
FC: I’m still a good rider on the best team in the world. They know what is our message on the team. We train hard and do well. Cecchini was my trainer before. With the problems that everyone thinks he has, it was hard to leave him because I trained with him for a few years. He has 30 years experience in cycling and it’s hard to find someone with experience. Now I am with Bjarne, who also has a lot of experience. The way Bjarne works is important in cycling. What he did was good (ed – to admit to doping in the 1996 Tour). He went in (public) to say what happened. In our team with the training camps, the team is always ready. People can see what’s really going on.
Q: You won by such a big gap — how do you explain that?
FC: I really wanted to win today, that was the most important thing. This year when I decided the objectives of my season, this was one of the biggest ones. I talked with the team to decide what was the best preparation. I didn’t make training just to be in condition for the prologue, but to be in good shape for the entire Tour. I learned a lot from the pressure of Paris-Roubaix. There are many elements are coming together.
Q: Why do you look kind of scraggly on the podium? Is not shaving part of your strategy to be more aerodynamic?
FC: I would like very much to shave! I lost my luggage coming here to London three days ago. My razor and all of my belongings are missing. Now it’s three days without my luggage. If someone finds it, please call me. I’m very happy with the yellow jersey, but I would like my luggage again!