Elite men's RR: Why Freire won
By John Wilcockson
VeloNews Editorial Director
This report filed October 14, 2001
Click image to enlarge
Photo By Graham Watson
Another world's road race is over. And, for the third year running, the blue-ribbon event came down to whom was fastest in the final straightaway. Two years ago, in Verona, Italy, a dozen riders were still together when "unknown" Spanish rider Oscar Freire sprinted out of the last turn to win by four seconds. In 2000, at Plouay, France, there were two dozen that fought out the finish, with Latvian Romans Vainsteins taking the sprint and Freire in third. Now, in Lisbon, Portugal, almost four dozen riders were still together to contest the finish -- an unimaginable outcome for a race that had 13,000 feet of climbing in its 254.1km -- and once again, Freire, much better known than in 1999, was the rider who prevailed to take the rainbow jersey.
You could say that the 25-year-old Freire is fortunate to take two golds and a bronze from his three world championship rides. But his success is a reflection of how far Spanish cycling has come in recent years -- and how important it is that its top riders have the Vuelta a España in September (instead of May) to find their best condition.
Freire didn't win a stage of the Vuelta this year, the closest he got being a second place to Erik Zabel in the tight finish at Gijón on stage 4. He said he thought of that finish when he was making his sprint on Sunday. Back in September, he tried to get through a narrowing gap as Zabel moved toward the barriers. The Spanish rider didn't make the same mistake this time. Freire followed Zabel, who was following a lead-out by Dutchman Erik Dekker, while the upstart Slovenian Andrej Hauptman, 26, was also challenging. Assessing the situation, Freire saw that, as Zabel moved to his left, a gap was opening up on his right, along the barriers. And with a pounce more typical of Zabel, the lithe Spaniard shot through the gap, while the German sat up, realizing he was beaten.
At the same time, Italy's Paolo Bettini, winner in a sprint this year of the Championship of Zürich World Cup race -- and a teammate of Freire's on the Mapei trade team -- was hurtling up on Dekker's left. "With just a few meters to go, I thought I was going to win the world championship," said Dekker, "and the next second there were three guys in front of me." The fastest of those guys was Freire, who crossed the line a length ahead of Bettini, with Hauptman taking third. Dekker was fourth and Zabel only fifth.
The explanation for Freire's success and Zabel's defeat was twofold. First, Zabel has been racing (and winning more than 20 times) all season long, from February to October. He was mentally tired. Freire may have been plagued all year with back injuries and then a viral infection. So he raced only 31 times -- and won only twice: stages of the Tours of Germany and Burgos -- so he was mentally fresh when he decided to make the world's a goal. "It was only in the Vuelta that I decided I was in good enough condition to go for the world title again." said Freire, who pulled out of the Vuelta with a week to go to get himself ready for the big day.
Click image to enlarge
Photo By Graham Watson
The second factor in the sprint's outcome was that Zabel's German team was keyed all day into helping Jan Ullrich. The German effort saw Jörg Jaksche cross to the race's first real break -- with Italy's Daniele Nardello and Ivan Basso, Spain's Aitor Osa and France's Florent Brard -- which took off in the 14th of 21 laps. They were caught two laps later. When Italy's Danilo Di Luca and Spain's Angel Vicioso then made a dangerous break on lap 17, and were joined by an energetic Bettini the following lap, it was the Germans that closed the 40-second gap.
By John Wilcockson
VeloNews Editorial Director
This report filed October 14, 2001
Click image to enlarge
Photo By Graham Watson
Another world's road race is over. And, for the third year running, the blue-ribbon event came down to whom was fastest in the final straightaway. Two years ago, in Verona, Italy, a dozen riders were still together when "unknown" Spanish rider Oscar Freire sprinted out of the last turn to win by four seconds. In 2000, at Plouay, France, there were two dozen that fought out the finish, with Latvian Romans Vainsteins taking the sprint and Freire in third. Now, in Lisbon, Portugal, almost four dozen riders were still together to contest the finish -- an unimaginable outcome for a race that had 13,000 feet of climbing in its 254.1km -- and once again, Freire, much better known than in 1999, was the rider who prevailed to take the rainbow jersey.
You could say that the 25-year-old Freire is fortunate to take two golds and a bronze from his three world championship rides. But his success is a reflection of how far Spanish cycling has come in recent years -- and how important it is that its top riders have the Vuelta a España in September (instead of May) to find their best condition.
Freire didn't win a stage of the Vuelta this year, the closest he got being a second place to Erik Zabel in the tight finish at Gijón on stage 4. He said he thought of that finish when he was making his sprint on Sunday. Back in September, he tried to get through a narrowing gap as Zabel moved toward the barriers. The Spanish rider didn't make the same mistake this time. Freire followed Zabel, who was following a lead-out by Dutchman Erik Dekker, while the upstart Slovenian Andrej Hauptman, 26, was also challenging. Assessing the situation, Freire saw that, as Zabel moved to his left, a gap was opening up on his right, along the barriers. And with a pounce more typical of Zabel, the lithe Spaniard shot through the gap, while the German sat up, realizing he was beaten.
At the same time, Italy's Paolo Bettini, winner in a sprint this year of the Championship of Zürich World Cup race -- and a teammate of Freire's on the Mapei trade team -- was hurtling up on Dekker's left. "With just a few meters to go, I thought I was going to win the world championship," said Dekker, "and the next second there were three guys in front of me." The fastest of those guys was Freire, who crossed the line a length ahead of Bettini, with Hauptman taking third. Dekker was fourth and Zabel only fifth.
The explanation for Freire's success and Zabel's defeat was twofold. First, Zabel has been racing (and winning more than 20 times) all season long, from February to October. He was mentally tired. Freire may have been plagued all year with back injuries and then a viral infection. So he raced only 31 times -- and won only twice: stages of the Tours of Germany and Burgos -- so he was mentally fresh when he decided to make the world's a goal. "It was only in the Vuelta that I decided I was in good enough condition to go for the world title again." said Freire, who pulled out of the Vuelta with a week to go to get himself ready for the big day.
Click image to enlarge
Photo By Graham Watson
The second factor in the sprint's outcome was that Zabel's German team was keyed all day into helping Jan Ullrich. The German effort saw Jörg Jaksche cross to the race's first real break -- with Italy's Daniele Nardello and Ivan Basso, Spain's Aitor Osa and France's Florent Brard -- which took off in the 14th of 21 laps. They were caught two laps later. When Italy's Danilo Di Luca and Spain's Angel Vicioso then made a dangerous break on lap 17, and were joined by an energetic Bettini the following lap, it was the Germans that closed the 40-second gap.
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