10 September 2014
IAM Cycling
Edoardo Zardini (Bardiani-CSF) won the summit finish of the Tour of Britains queen stage with gusto. The Italian out-paced his pursuers by a handful of seconds and, as a result, donned the leaders jersey.
IAM Cycling found itself highlighted in the mix with Sébastien Reichenbach coming out as the best of the team. Reichenbach finished a strong 8th place in the company of Wiggins, Visconti as well as König. Thanks to a late surge, Sylvain Chavanel came in 11th place, having salvaged his hopes for a top spot on the overall GC.
Now standing in 9th place overall, Sébastien Reichenbach commented on his performance, but regretted how the final climb unfolded.
Once again, the stage was very nervous on the small roads. With 50 kilometers to go, everyone was already battling for position with an eye towards the final climb. It was stressful and tiring, but I still managed to hit the last several kilometers in a good position. From the start of the climb, Jérôme Pineau was ahead of me setting tempo. I responded to the attack by Nicolas Roche, but I probably went too soon. I paid for that early effort in the last two kilometers, where I had expected the road to flatten out a bit more. I am still a little disappointed, though. In my defense, I had never seen this climb before, and I road according to my understanding of the profile. Perhaps it was not the best tactic.
Kjell Carlström, one of the directeurs sportifs along with Eddy Seigneur, appreciated the attitude of his riders.
The team has proved it belongs in the front with the best. Heinrich Haussler and Jérôme Pineau did an excellent job for Sébastien at the foot of the climb. He played his acceleration well, though I think he has maybe gone a bit too early. In this case, he lacked a bit of experience. I am also satisfied with Sylvain Chavanel, since he succeeded in preserving his chances for a final victory. The time he has lost to his main rivals is not insurmountable given the possibilities that a course like this offers.
