Team RadioShack’s Haimar Zubeldia was the fastest rider in the prologue of the French stage race Tour de l’Ain (August 10-14th). In the short, evening time trial over 3 K (1.86 miles) he was just hundredths of a second faster than the surprising young Dutch rider Wilco Kelderman (Rabobank Continental Team). Zubeldia will start tomorrow in the yellow leader’s jersey in stage 1 from Lagnieu to Saint-Vulbas.
“This is more than I expected,” commented the prologue winner. “I only had the Clásica San Sebastián in my legs as competition. Moreover this prologue looked just too short for me, but Team Director Alain Gallopin pushed me over the limit.”
“At 1 K from the finish, I saw that Haimar was only 1 second slower than Kelderman, who had the best time,” said Gallopin. “As Haimar always has been a good prologue rider, I yelled him through the not-so-easy last kilometer to the finish in the rue Alexandre Bérard. I am convinced that Haimar can win the overall classification on Saturday. With only six riders per team it is not so easy to control the race, but we will do everything we can.”
Haimar Zubeldia broke his right wrist in the first stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné in June and was not able to participate at the Tour de France.
“As I was still hoping to go to the Tour, I immediately continued for ten days my training on the rollers,” explained Zubeldia. “When it became clear that it would be impossible to get ready in time, I stopped training for two weeks and started again during the Tour de France. With my teammate and training partner Markel Irizar I trained a lot in the Pyrenees. My goal was the Clásica San Sebastián, where I finished fourth without any prior racing in the legs. The season is not over yet. It is a pity and a shame that the Tour de France’s best team is not invited to the Tour of Spain, but we will show ourselves in the other races. This is already a good beginning.”
For Haimar Zubeldia (33) this victory is his first individual victory as a professional rider in ten years. On May 28th 2000, he won the overall classification in the Bicicleta Vasca. He also finished three times in the top ten of the Tour de France.
“I am not a winner. My job in the team is to help our Grand Tour riders in the mountains. I always kept hard working. This victory is a nice compensation for my hard work. We are a small but good team and we will try to keep yellow until the end. It would be nice to win this 22nd Tour de l’Ain,” concluded Zubeldia.
Result prologue Ambérieu-en-Bugey
Source: Team Radioshack Press Release
Sounds like a real Team-First Rider!
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