A Week at the Worlds with Lance Friday, October 9

The aftermath of the Time Trial. Hi mate, hi bud, I was wondering where you had got too. Busy. (cultural note: I say mate, Lance says bud). Lance came 4th narrowly missing the place on the podium. His splits belie the claim by some that he had gone out way to fast and died - At 8.4 kms he was 9th fastest in 11:06.03, at 27.5 kms he had improved his relative position to 4th (35:04.02), maintained it at the 36.1 kms checkpoint (4th at 45:44.00), and finished the 43.5 kms in that position with a time of 55:28.09 and an average speed of 47.21. He was 9 seconds behind Sergei Gontchar and 57 seconds behind the winner Abraham Olano. The analysis also shows that on the notable hard parts of the route (say, the Cauberg) he was within seconds of matching Olano, Mauri and Gontchar. So he did not lose the time there. So what went wrong? I spoke to Lance about his ideas of the gaps and how he felt he went. Like a typical Aussie I asked him how he pulled up. Marcel Wust will laugh a lot about that. Lance wasn't sure he should answer. I thought of Marcel and laughed. Okay, mate, then how did you feel? Ah, those cultural differences. Well, I was a little confused about it. I had mixed emotions. Getting 4th and being so close to the podium after all I have been through to get back here was ... a bit upsetting. But then you have to think about it in perspective. Coming back to this level is not bad. So in that sense I am very happy. Well where did you lose those seconds? I was fast enough on the tough sections of the course. We studied the video this morning and timed the relative times between various markers on the tough parts. On the Cauberg I was definitely fast enough. I did not lose time there. Mauri, Olano and I were within 3 seconds of each other going up the Cauberg. I think the answer lies in the technicality of the circuit. I just don't think I went round all those corners well enough. You know we rode the route together the day before. The course was very technical. Yes it was. You were planning to go back over it again that evening. Did you? Yes, we drove back over it in the car. But I don't think I knew it well enough. Riding once and then once in the car. I think I lost the time through the corners. What about the claim made by that guy at the end that you had ignored the advice not to go out to quickly? Yeh, I heard him say that. But I don't think that was the main problem. I was 9th going through the first split at 8.4 kms (Bemelerberg). I then improved my position after that. Yes, but that doesn't mean in absolute terms that you were within yourself. No that is right. Did I feel that I had gone out too quickly? Was it the weather? (noting that it was very cold and wet). Were my legs good? When I go through all the various reasons I conclude that I think I backed off a little on the technical parts of the course. That is where I think I lost the time. It is true though that when I climbed the Bemelerberg I felt a little flat in the legs for a time. I had to fight that. But I don't think I went out too fast. I was feeling good going into the race. I just felt flat at that part of the course. But 4th place. It would have been nice to have won or to have been on the podium. But I was strong on the course. And I feel as though I have been successful from where I started from at the start of the season. You were really strong on the Cauberg - what gear? I went up in 48 x 21. Yes, you really pedalled through the hill. Well I know I was strong then and did not lose time up there. So what did you do today (the day after)? I just rode an hour or so with the American Juniors. Yes, I rode past you on the other side of the road this morning. Yes, we were heading into Valkenburg. I wanted to show them some of the Amstel Gold Race route. We turned left up that hill just before Valkenburg, what is it called? Sibbergrubbestraat. Yes. Then we went down to the road circuit and did that once in between the two races (morning Junior Women, afternoon Under-23 men). I felt good and fresh today. I really worked in the Time Trial. I was suffering over the last 10 kms for sure. But this morning I didn't have the usual post-TT sensations in my muscles (buttocks and legs). I didn't feel the usual fatigue. That is a good sign. I just need rest now for Sunday. I think the TT unblocked me. I don't have to go and unblock now. I am ready. What about Jonathan's ride, sensational really? Fantastic ride. He is a very smart rider. He really works on strategies and tactics to maximise his performance. He warms up well, is good on the corners and works the ups and downs of the route well. He knows when he has to hammer and when working down the hill is needless. He is a very good rider now. And what of Sunday now? Have you heard Olano has gone back to Spain? I heard a rumour but you are the first to confirm it. Yes it is true, I just saw the communique. He is gone. His knee is given as the reason. Does it matter? It is surprising really. But yes it matters. He would have obviously been a threat. So what preparation tomorrow? I will do a few hours. I don't feel blocked. I just need rest. Did you see the road races today? Yes. Wasn't the junior women's race a shocker for Australia? (note: one Aussie junior ran down another and brought back the German and the Russian to overrun the other Aussie women in the last few hundred metres). Yep. It comes down to coaching really. Surely, we are having troubles in Australian cycling at the moment. That looked very bad. But what of the Under-23 race - there appeared to be no selection in the parcours at all? No it wasn't very selective. I don't know about it really. Are they professional riders? If they are then why are they only riding 172 kms? Maybe over a longer distance the route will be more selective. Well, when we were riding the other day I said I thought the route was not hard and you had disagreed. Remember Jan Raas won here in 1979 and he was a sprinter. And they average 42.3! It was 42.9 wasn't it. (I think - a good grasp of the data ... I like that). Yes it was, my mistake ... well 42 plus is not indicative of a really tough circuit. The problem is also that there is that long downhill into Maastricht after the Cauberg. Yes, that guy was always getting dropped on the Cauberg and getting back on in the breakaway. And the Bemelerberg is not tough enough. I just hope that the extra distance on Sunday makes it more selective. But at the end of the day if there is a huge sprint to the line and I get 18th or something well then hey! it just wasn't my course. I can't do anything about that. Well maybe the extra 5 laps will do it. Let's hope. Any tips. Glen Magnussen. So what about tomorrow? I will take it easy on the bike. Want to come down to our hotel and ride? Yep, sounds good. What time? Hmm, 10.00. Yep, 10.00 is fine. I'll be there. See ya mate. See ya bud. Ah those cultural differences.

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