Led by Taylor Phinney’s runner-up performance, the BMC Racing Team finished three riders in the top 10 of Friday’s individual time trial at the Tour de San Luis. Larry Warbasse was fourth and Manuel Quinziato was sixth, while teammate Peter Stetina is now the BMC Racing Team’s best-placed rider, in sixth overall.
Chainring Choice A Factor
Phinney finished the out-and-back 19.2-kilometer individual time trial three seconds back of stage winner Adriano Malori (Movistar Team), who finished in a time of 22:11. The past U.S. national time trial champion said he made a tactical error by not asking the team’s mechanics to put a 55 or 56-tooth front chainring on his BMC timemachine TM01. “I rode it this morning and thought it wouldn’t be necessary,” Phinney said. “But I got up to 75, 78 kilometers an hour going down on that tailwind section and just had to stop pedaling a couple times.” Phinney said he did not want to make excuses, adding that he knew Malori – a past Italian national time trial champion – would be strong. “My power was there and my pacing strategy was good, but not having those extra gears on the way down cost me a couple seconds,” he said. “Whether that cost me the win, we will never know.” Jorge Giacinti (San Luis Somos Todos) finished third, 29 seconds back.
Atapuma Slips To Ninth
Stetina is 2:57 off the lead after finishing 29th, 1:47 back. Nairo Quintana (Movistar Team) assumed the overall lead from Stage 1 breakaway winner Phillip Gaimon (Garmin-Sharp) by finishing 16th, 1:18 back. BMC Racing Team’s Darwin Atapuma, who had been sitting fourth overall after placing third on Stage 4 and fourth on Stage 2, conceded nearly two minutes to Quintana and slid to ninth overall, 3:21 behind. Atapuma said he had to shake off some nervousness in his first time trial on his BMC. “Nevertheless, I had very good sensations and likely did my best time trial ever,” he said. “The important thing is that I am improving day-by-day. I am very happy about the confidence the team has in me, from the riders, the director and all the staff. Everybody is doing a very good job.”
Career-Best Finish For Warbasse
Warbasse’s fourth-place finish, 48 seconds off the winning time, was his career-best, while Quniziato’s sixth place result was his best result in an individual time trial since finishing fifth at the Italian national time trial championships in 2010. Two days remain in the week-long race: a mountain-top finish at the end of a 184.4-km race on Saturdayand Sunday’s undulating 148.1-km stage. Atapuma said he still has some fight left in his legs. “Tomorrow I think the stage will be decisive for the general classification,” he said. “It is my opinion that the race is not finished yet. I hope to feel good and try to win the stage.”
Ron Callahan is the chief cook and bottlewasher at Bike World News, doing everything from website design to bike reviews.