Gustav Larsson: «The time trial will be decisive at Poitou-Charentes»

“I still remember this victory in the Tour du Poitou-Charentes.  In 2009 I was racing for CSC.”

Gustav Larsson recalls one of his many good memories after his arrival at the summit of the ramparts of Angoulème.

The Swedish IAM Cycling rider hopes to have a repeat victory, even if the 8 seconds he and Thomas Löfkvist lost in stage 2 may hamper their run at an overall victory.  “To add this victory to your palmarès is a simply recipe since the time trial is critical at Poitou-Charentes.   First it is necessary to protect yourself in the first stages tailored for the sprinters and fighters.  From there, the specialists against the clock take the driver’s seat.  With a 22 kilometer time trial, it is possible to make important time differences.  When I won, it was because I managed to win the time trial, and then the next day I defended my first place position.” 

As the current Swedish time trial champion, Larsson is approaching the coming event with confidence.

“Our team has a collective quality that we have already proved recently at the Tour du Limousin, as well as how we have raced here in the first two stages.  All the teams have the same idea.  We will not be alone in wanting to keep tomorrow finishing with a sprint in the morning before we have the afternoon time trial.  Orica Greendge with Luke Durbridge are the defending champions, and they will be just as likely to be counting on the time trial to make it two in a row for themselves.  My legs feel good and have been turning well ever since we left Saint-Maixent-L’Ecole.  I am counting on this hilly course to prove it.” 

IAM Cycling, which is currently ranked second on the Europe Tour behind Europcar, has more than one card to play for the victory.  Thomas Löfkvist, despite also losing 8 seconds in the twisting final of the second stage, which was won for the second day in a row by Nacer Bouhanni (FDJ), can be counted on putting in a strong enough performance in the time trial to catapult himself into the winner’s circle of the Tour du Poitou-Charentes 2013.  Just as Matteo Pelucchi and  Heinrich Haussler tried their luck yesterday for a stage win, in today’s stage, IAM Cycling’s Stefan Denifl was honored with the award for the fair-play rider of the day, after having escaped with five other riders and managing to stay away for nearly 50 kilometers.