2010 Vuelta a Espana: Stage 17 News, Notes and Quotes

In today’s Vuelta a Espana news, Rodriquez falters and falls back to 5th place, Fabian Cancellara slowed by early strong winds, Cadel Evans confident about form for Worlds, Fedrigo to FdJ and more…

• HTC-Columbia’s Peter Velits won today’s individual time trial, but Vincenzo Nibali of Liquigas was the one to move back into the race lead. Nibali leads Ezekiel Mosquera by 39 seconds and Velits is 2 minutes back in third place. “Nibali has shown that he is a strong leader. We have all attacked and he did not crack,” said Mosquera. “I’m happy and we’ll see Saturday,” noted Nibali for his part. “Now the great adversary is Ezequiel Mosquera. The stage of Bola del Mundo is very difficult but the good news is that Mosquera will be monitored.”

• Fabian Cancellara was the man to beat today, but winds that kicked up early in the day squashed his chances.
• Former race leader Joaquin Rodriguez fell far back today. He finished 6’12″ back from Velits for 105th place and is now fifth overall at 3’45″, jeopardizing his chances of victory in Madrid. “I suffered a lot on the bike, I tried everything but when you can not, can not,” he said. “Only a miracle could save me.”
• Bad luck today for David Garcia da Pena. The Xacobeo Galicia rider had to put his foot down after just 1 meter from the starting gate. A problem with his bike cost him 20 seconds before his trial really began. The Spaniard saw his 10th place in the standings go up in smoke.
• Theo Bos also had bad luck. After five kilometers he fell and he left the Vuelta in an ambulance.

Other Cycling News:

• Two-time USA Cycling Professional Road Race Champion George Hincapie will return to his home turf this weekend to defend his road race national title. Hincapie will be among the star-studded fields representing our nationa’s top cyclists at the Greenville Hospital System USA Cycling Professional Championships, which will celebrate the event’s 25th anniversary September 18-19.
• Bjarne Riis admits to being in talks with Alberto Contador during the Tour de France. Riis told Contador at the time that his support for Andy Schleck was 100%, but some say that Riis’ interest in the defending Tour champion significantly cooled his reactions to Contador’s attack when Schleck dropped his chain. Riis says that he immediately thought of Contador when the Schleck brothers told him that she would leave Saxo Bank. “He’s the best,” said Riis.
• Pierrick Fedrigo will wear the colors of Francaise des Jeux next season. “He is a rider that weighs heavily in a team. He can win races, he is very comfortable in difficult terrain,” welcomed Marc Madiot. “He is a winner and does not need many chances to win. He comes to play the one-day races and win stages in stage races.”
• Marianne Vos was originally slated to race in both the road and time trial competitions at the World Championships, but after consultation with Dutch officials, decided to concentrate just on the road race.
• After sprinting to third for the BMC Racing Team Wednesday at the Grand Prix de Wallonie, defending World Champion Cadel Evans feels that he is on form for the Worlds. Evans does not expect the Worlds to end in a mass sprint. “There will be a small group riding up to the finish. Gilbert is the man to beat,” he told Lotto Cycling TV. “Obviously I would like to have a repeat of my performance of last year,” he continued. “But that’s easier said than done. I have a few weeks until then, but I am satisfied with my current condition.”
• Alessandro Ballan has publicly criticized Italian coach Paolo Bettini for not including him in the squad for the World Championships. The 2008 world champion accused the former Quick Step professional of having made false promises. “I’m disappointed because Bettini said that the course suits me and I would be there in the team. He has made his decision and I respect that, but I do not agree,” Ballan told the Corriere della Sera. ” I always cope well with Bettini, but perhaps it was a big mistake on my part to have not called him every day.”

Other Results:

• Marco Frapporti (Colnago – CSF) held off Team Sky’s Bradley Wiggins to win stage five of the Tour of Britain after the pair were part of the breakaway group which dominated the day. Frapporti broke clear of his fellow escapees inside the final 10 kilometres of the 176km route from Tavistock to Glastonbury to claim a solo win, while Wiggins jumped from the group himself going under the flamme rouge to take the runner-up spot.
• The Grand Prix de Wallonie ended in a sprint between the breakaway of the day in the streets of Namur. The German Paul Martens (Rabobank) won on the line ahead of Riccardo Ricco (Vacansoleil). Cadel Evans (BMC) finished third.