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Stage 5 - March 2: Valencia - Valencia ITT, 20.3 km
Last night I checked the past winners, Vinokourov a couple of years back, Melchior Mauri '91 and '92 and Zülle in '95. The other thing that I mulled over was whether or not Virenque was actually riding. I hadn't seen hide nor hair of him. I checked he is in the start list and the results ... Stage 5 @ 7.59 down. Probably chatting it seems with Fernando Escartin for he was on the same time. On GC Dicky boy is 48th at 9.23. This is a 5 day tour, sure its training for some, but that's a long way back, especially after we saw Zülle's (a contemporary of Virenque's) effort yesterday.
After my early morning spin I put the bike against the wall, turn on the computer, check the mail, a little surf, in the half hour before Valencia hits the telly. I move my focus away from Spain to the Het Volk. Robbie McEwen has surely got some form this year. He is in a group of 11 with less than 25kms to go, some cobbles to go but the Molenberg and all those other inflictors of Flemish pain behind.
Robbie has had his detractors over the years...not always Mr. Popular but maybe I get the feeling this year he wants to prove a point - good on him. Robbie has team-mates Tchmil and Van Petegem with him, but only one can win. Hřj attacked, Van Petegem followed and Robbie must now be sitting back with Tchmil and 7 others with only 8 kms to go. At 3 km to go, the lead of Hřj and Van Petegem is now over 35 seconds. The Van man wins.
Larry Snell, a kid I knew in Katherine NT was a 13 year old obsessed roadie and total McEwen freak. Larry did Katherine to Darwin with us in 1999 (330 kms in a day). Riding with Larry was always accompanied with the sounds of Larry telling me stuff like: "you know Martin ... Robbie told me that...Robbie this, Robbie that...Robbie will win a sprint in the tour this year..." - Larry was right, Robbie won on the Champs in the TDF that year. Wherever he is, he will be happy with Robbie's form this year. Good on you Larry.
Now back to Valencia. I am set. I have been refining this set up during the week. I have the ironing board set low in front of the lounge ready for the TV, coffee at hand. I have banished Tom, my son and his gringo mate, Robert from the house for the next hour so I don't have interruptions. Buenos tardes Carlos here we go...17 degrees, cloudy, no wind. A shot of what I think I recognise as the Science Museum of Valencia from the air. Spain has great new buildings - modern with a capital M, as well as old. Of the modern Spanish Buildings I must say that the Guggenheim in Bilbao is the best, of course, but it is not really Spanish is it?
We catch Toni Colom on the podium again. Shots of guys on wind trainers pre ITT. Early riders - the best so far; Gontchar, el tiempo muy muy grande - 29.10. Martinez is the first of the favourites to go. Carbon disc on the back of his Orbea. Something like a Spinergy on the front? The orange bike, orange booties, orange jersey and nicks with orange side panels all blur into one as the image goes through god knows how many satellites to reach me here in my lounge room. It's flat but quite a few corners early on, not a drag strip yet. Dekker next, again a disc carbon and on the front big flat spokes, that is why I think they are Spinergys. What are they? Answers please!
To the finish a Kelme, Gutiérrez finishes with an average of 44kph. Now Zülle on the start ramp. There is expectation in the air. A lot of water has passed under the bridge since the Festina days. Then Zülle was in a cell with his glasses taken away by the French police, he can't see without them. I still think that is cruel and unusual punishment, like not letting people wear turbans in Guantanamo Bay.
Zülle looks calm as he wobbles the bike from side to side to get comfortable. Pushes his quads about, loose, and he wobbles from side to side again. The count, cinco, cuatro, tres, dos, a fuera, he is off and he starts to winds up a big gear. He is quickly spinning it and settles in through the opening bends and then along a straight and he seems well settled. The compańero of Carlos, Ernest follows on the moto. Zülle's director (his name I don't know) is well on truly hyped with enough distortion on the speaker to sound like a cassette tape of The Saints in their garage in Brisbane 1976.
Jaksche has put in a good ride at the turn. It is an out and back course 11.7km to the turn. Zülle is now over the bridge as Boogerd starts. Back to Zülle, the yellow on the disc wheel is becoming psychedelic as he increases the speed. But for psychedelic check out Dekker's disc, something out of a Hitchcock special effect. Blue and red swirls like the colours on a child's spinning top.
Mřller starts, 4th position, Ninja turtle style time trial helmet. An aerial shot of Zülle fighting the bike up a slight incline. He drinks and gets orders or distortion over the speaker from the boss's car. "Adelante! Adelante! Ven!".
Now a slight downhill, it's a flyover or some sort of bridge on the freeway I think. It sounds like Spanish being yelled at Zülle. That is not odd as he spent all those years down here...who is it in the car? "Ven, Ven". Go, go. I love this the intimacy of hearing the director over the speaker. I got into it in last year's Vuelta. It is one thing I really like about the time trial telecasts.
Gontchar is still the early leader. But Jaksche comes in sprinting. Carlos: "mejor tiempo - 28.53.09. He now leads. Basso starts, Di Luca and Relax - Not - Toni to come. Di Luca starts, he winds up quick sprinting from the start. Like on the mountain yesterday he seems light on the pedals. He is through the first corner. Mřller is going well up the rise on the freeway. The early corners have left us behind now, it is the drag strip along the freeway.
Back to the start and to loud applause Toni Colom hits the road. Martinez turns, 6 secs behind Jaksche and MZ is currently 5th after his turn. Back, Zülle is now on a straight B class road, accompanied by a stream to the right through open pastures. The distortion of the speaker makes it hard to work out what is being said other than "go, go, good, good".
Now a corner for Zülle and then another he turns back on himself. 14.36.6 at the turn 11+ kms to go. Thirty eight seconds ahead of Dekker and 54 to Jaksche. Mřller behind is going well, he rides a blue and white Orbea. It seems this year the Basque manufacturer has increased its foothold in the peloton. Ten kms to go for Zülle as the director screams into the mike held close to his mouth with the other hand on the steering wheel.
Carlos tells us that the Leonese rider, Banesto's Pascual Rodriguez is doing a good time trial. But hell, so much for my preparation the battery is beeping low on the laptop, I save and get the pen and paper ready. Why did that happen? It should have recharged all right. You should see our place - we have power plugs in 4 different styles on a variety of electrical equipment, all in need of different adapters, no wonder it wasn't charging.
Mřller is + 26 secs at the turn. Now I have to decipher my illegible scrawl. Zülle has 7 secs to go and still their is the distorted screaming from the car. MZ finishes 23rd, 30.31.0 as Zülle comes back into the outskirts of the city. Behind Basso is driving, at early check only 5 secs behind Zülle, who now only has 4kms left. He moves across the road a bit now, not hugging one edge as he has before, maybe tired as he comes up to what seems to be the Science Museum off to the right.
Basso is looking strong, I have no chance with the Italian coming from his following car. Italian, it seems, higher pitched to me, Castellano to me seems to be spoken with a mouth full of tongue and is a softer sound, inter dispersed with "eh eh". All this crosses my mind as Martinez finishes 16th.
Two kilometres for Alex, a corner, through that and out of the saddle to regain his speed, he sits now as he moves towards the shade of the avenue of trees. Basso turns and is only 5 secs behind and now Zülle rounds a bend he is in the straight, head up, down, up, down, up, we see white teeth gritted - the finish 28.34.4. Its all up to Basso now, Zülle has the fastest time.
Mřller comes in as Basso passes the Science Museum, Basso nears the finish and it is lose but not close enough. He won't beat Zülle but he is moving well. He finishes 3rd behind Jaschke. We still have Di Luca and Colom to come, but I do not feel they can challenge. In the home straight Colom the screen has Colom 5th, 6th, now 8th push Toni push he finishes 9th today 79 seconds behind Zülle.
While we wait for the podium we have the standard aerial sots of the finishing town, or today city. Parks, fountains, modern architecture and a crazy statute comes into view. Its situated in a huge circle, the statue is a body lying down, a sword and hat to the side. It is bearded with people walking on it. Can I see sculptured ropes holding it down? Is it Gulliver with children running amok all over it. I would love to know so if you do send me a note.
The girls, no white leather jackets today, just the leather vests, pants and sweaters, the colour - blood of the bull. Petacchi finishes in green. A good race for him, his podium girls have grey suits, skirts not pants, black stockings and black high heeled shoes, kind of business fashion - yuck. Zülle is back on the podium, before for the stage, now for the overall, he has a mixed look of pleasure and relief, a sort of "I'm Back" face. And Carlos reminds me - until Wednesday and the Vuelta Ciclista a Murcia: "Buenos Tardes".