Criterium International: Stage 2 and yellow for Porte

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Paris-Nice winner sets up a win in Criterium International after victory on stage 2 in the Time Trial

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After having won Paris-Nice just a few weeks ago, Richie Porte had considered working as a team mate for Chris Froome inside the impressive Sky team on the Criterium International.

2013_CriteriumInternational_Stage2TT_Porte

The Australian’s victory on the day’s afternoon time trial could change the plans though. Porte indeed showed that the month of March suits him beautifully clocking the best time on the 7-kilometre course and beating Boaro and Tejay van Garderen.

With that he takes the overall leader’s yellow jersey that he’ll be carrying on his shoulders for tomorrow’s mountain stage heading to the Col de l’Ospedale.

Australian Porte said afterwards on the team Sky website “It was quite a technical route this afternoon, and not my sort of a course, but I’ve done a lot of work with Dan Hunt and Shaun Stephens on my time trial position, and that’s definitely paid dividends.”

“I have to pay credit to my mechanic Richard Lambert as well because he’s been absolutely fantastic working on my position. This win is for those guys as much as it is for me – we’re a team here at Sky, and that’s as much about the support staff as it is the riders.”

Short seconds of glory…
After failing to start the afternoon’s time trial, USA’s Ian Boswell (SKY) made another man enter history… for a short while! Indeed, taking off first, Cheng Ji (ARG) became the first Chinese to lead the overall standings of a Criterium International with the first best time. His glorious moment was however short as he was soon to be beaten by Frenchman Jimmy Engoulvent taking off just behind him.

Jussi Veikkanen, and then Sergio Paulinho, were the following riders to enjoy the limelight at the summit of the virtual hierarchy but their performances were soon to be pointless when Jérôme Coppel (COF) crossed the line, and even more when Jean-Christophe Péraud (ALM) reached the finish at an average speed of just over 45km/h.

It was then Chris Froome’s (SKY) turn to accomplish his mission as he beat Peraud by 5”, but his time wasn’t good enough to hope for glory. Best young rider on the last Tour de France, Tejay van Garderen (BMC) took command of the race shortly after the Brit, beating him by a second.

Neither three time world time trial champion Michael Rogers, nor Andrew Talansky managed to menace Van Garderen’s position. However, Richie Porte, who had already beaten his American rival on the Paris-Nice time-trial confirmed that he was the master of the month on such a specific effort.

The Aussie indeed beat van Garderen by a second and captured the overall lead. Italian Manuele Boaro (TST) struck an interesting surprise, managing to grab an excellent second spot, just a second adrift.

The podium candidates will have to keep an eye out on the youngest rider of the pack, 20-year-old Bob Jungels (RLT), who is only 7’’ behind the new race leader, like Peraud and Talansky. Winner of the morning stage and holder of the yellow jersey, Theo Bos (BLA) knew he wouldn’t be a threat for the big guns. He took it rather easily after accomplishing his day’s mission, clocking the worst time of the time-trial in 121st and last position.

So will Porte go for the win on stage 3? “We’re in a good position with me in the lead and Froomey sitting just a few seconds back on GC. It’s going to be quite tight tomorrow because there’s a lot of good riders close to us.”

“We came in with Froomey as our leader and he’s a great friend, so if he’s got good legs tomorrow and I don’t then I’ll be more than happy to ride for him. Obviously, I’d like to finish the job off if I can, but as long as Team Sky win tomorrow it’ll be a great day and we’ll all be happy.

“Right now I just want to enjoy the moment, and the fact that I have one more lion to add to the collection (laughs). I’m really happy on this team and in a really good place.

“There won’t be much celebrating tonight because we’re all focused on tomorrow. We’ve got a great team here to defend and that’s what we’ll aim to do now.”

BMC Racing Team’s Tejay van Garderen Best Young Rider

BMC Racing Team’s Tejay van Garderen clocked the third-best time in the Stage 2 individual time trial Saturday at Critérium International and sits third overall and wearing the best young rider jersey heading into Sunday’s final stage.

Van Garderen was one second off the winning time of 9:10 by Richie Porte (Sky Procycling) and tied on time with runner-up Manuele Boaro (Team Saxo-Tinkoff) on the technical, 7.0-kilometre course.

Sunday’s 176.0 km final stage features six categorised climbs, including a mountain-top finish that van Garderen said should favor him. “We go into tomorrow trying to figure out a way to win this race,” he said.

“I’ve studied the last climb a little bit and we saw the first part of it in training the other day. It looks like a nice climb, steady, and not too steep. It looks like it suits me pretty well. I’m going to try to do what I can.”

Defending champion Cadel Evans of the BMC Racing Team finished 74th in the time trial, 45 seconds off the winning time. “Cadel is a big champion, so he will have good motivation to help Tejay and the team tomorrow,” BMC Racing Team Assistant Director Yvon Ledanois said.

STAGE 2 TT
1 PORTE Richie Sky Procycling 09:10
2 BOARO Manuele Team Saxo-Tinkoff 00:01
3 VAN GARDEREN Tejay BMC Racing Team
4 FROOME Christopher Sky Procycling 00:02
5 TALANSKY Andrew Garmin – Sharp 00:07
6 PERAUD Jean-christophe AG2R La Mondiale
7 JUNGELS Bob RadioShack – Leopard
8 KL̦DEN Andr̩as RadioShack РLeopard 00:09
9 COPPEL Jérome Cofidis Solutions Crédits 00:11
10 MOLLEMA Bauke Blanco Pro Cycling Team

71 SCHLECK Andy RadioShack – Leopard @ 44
74 EVANS Cadel BMC Racing Team @45
106 TIERNAN-LOCKE Jonathan Sky Procycling 01:02
120 BOS Theo Blanco Pro Cycling Team 01:31

OVERALL
1 PORTE Richie Sky Procycling 02:11:53
2 BOARO Manuele Team Saxo-Tinkoff 00:01
3 VAN GARDEREN Tejay BMC Racing Team ,,
4 FROOME Christopher Sky Procycling 00:02
5 TALANSKY Andrew Garmin – Sharp 00:07
6 PERAUD Jean-christophe AG2R La Mondiale ,,
7 JUNGELS Bob RadioShack – Leopard ,,
8 KL̦DEN Andr̩as RadioShack РLeopard 00:09
9 COPPEL Jérome Cofidis Solutions Crédits 00:11
10 MOLLEMA Bauke Blanco Pro Cycling Team ,,
11 KELDERMAN Wilco Blanco Pro Cycling Team 00:14
12 KIRYIENKA Vasil Sky Procycling ,,
13 LUDVIGSSON Tobias Team Argos – Shimano 00:15
14 BOUET Maxime AG2R La Mondiale 00:17
15 DENNIS Rohan Garmin – Sharp 00:18
16 HIVERT Jonathan Sojasun 00:20
17 MONFORT Maxime RadioShack – Leopard 00:21
18 ROGERS Michael Team Saxo-Tinkoff ,,
19 ROUX Anthony Equipe Cycliste FDJ ,,
20 MOREIRA PAULINHO Sergio Miguel Team Saxo-Tinkoff ,,

34 VOECKLER Thomas Europcar 00:28
46 VOIGT Jens RadioShack – Leopard 00:36
65 SCHLECK Andy RadioShack – Leopard 44
68 EVANS Cadel BMC Racing Team @45
92 TIERNAN-LOCKE Jonathan Sky Procycling 01:02

 

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