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Pssst! The latest insider news: Christian Knees gives a daily report of his experiences at the Giro d'Italia.
03/06/2024
Giro d'Italia: 2 June 2024
Dear Team MILRAM fans,
today was quite a good day. I didn’t sleep that well at night, only four to five hours, because I had a cough. But I wanted to finish the tour in any case, and during the race everything was ok.
At first everything was quite relaxed, the riders with the jerseys drank champagne and we only let the one or other rider go who lived near the course. They broke away a bit, stopped to meet their relatives, and every now and then we stopped as well. We also could have had some champagne or something to eat, that was really funny. The race actually started only on the last rounds. The weather was good, the streets dry, and a lot of people were standing at the street. That was real fun.
First Liquigas controlled and one rider escaped. Three and a half kilometers to the finish I rode to the front and stayed there until kilometer two. Then the others took over and Alessandro secured himself his fifth stage win.
Altogether the Giro was a great tour. Everything worked out fine in our team, we had a lot of fun, were successful and Alessandro also secured him the violet jersey of the winner of the points classification. Having the best sprinter in our team we had a lot of work to do, but everything worked out fine and I don’t feel too tired now. Actually I had hoped for a bit more for myself, maybe the one or other break, but the problems with my knee and my cold were in the way. So I’m glad to have finished the race and that I could give all my power for the team.
Now we’re still standing at the bus in the finish. I just took a shower and now we’re waiting for Alessandro. He’s just getting his jersey, then there’s the doping test, and in the evening we’ll have a little party in the hotel. Tomorrow I’m going home and start the next week quite relaxed. After that I hope that the Tour de France will be my next big race. The team’s not fix yet, but I think positively and I’d be happy if I could do both grand tours agian this year.
Kind regards from Milan,
Christian
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Giro d'Italia: 2 June 2024
Dear Team MILRAM fans,
I was pretty motivated for today’s time trial. I wanted to finish with a good time, which is why I was at the bus really early and did a good warm up. But 15 minutes before my start it started to rain again. The water was standing on the cobbled passages in Bardolino. This is why i rode quite cautiously and lost some time first.
Abter the first mountain, however, I found a good rhythm and did a good race. I was about four minutes behind the winner, that’s ok. Actually I wanted to finish under the top 30, but with the rain I preferred to take out some speed in the turns and not go on full risk. So I’m satisfied to have finished the time trial after three weeks with an acceptable time, and that I’ll finish the tour tomorrow in Milan.
Of course I’m looking forward to coming home and seeing my wife again now. My plane starts on monday morning. On Saturday we’ll have dinner with the whole team again and celebrate a bit, and on monday I’m back home.
See you tomorrow,
Christian
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Giro d'Italia: 1 June 2024
Dear Team MILRAM fans,
today was a really bad rain day. On the way to the start it looked like it would clear up, but when we were in the bus getting ready for the race it started to rain and didn’t stop anymore. The race was pretty fast, everybody wanted to get into a break. I tried as well, but it didn’t really work out. At the first climb classification the climbers attacked and we didn’t have a chance anymore. So we joined the grupetto and arrived in the finish 23 minutes after the winner.
So I’m really glad that the day is over. Tomorrow, there will be a time trial over 40 kilometers, but I think there won’t happen too much, we don’t have a time trial specialist. We’re all looking forward to the final stage to Milan. That’s the big goal which you work for over three weeks: to finish the tour and to arrive in Milan. The last stage isn’t really a race any more. I already know that from last year. It starts slowly and the complete peloton rides together until the final round, which is where the actual race really starts. If it rains, however, it can get really dangerous again. There are some cobbled passages, and a crash like the two I was aready involved could happen again. And I really don’t need that. So let’s hope that the weather will be fine.
See you tomorrow,
Christian
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Giro d'Italia: 31 May 2024
Dear Team MILRAM fans,
it was a great day today. The race was over soon, I was at the front most of the time and in the end Alessandro won. What more do you want?! Today, it was „all for Petacchi“ again, that’s clear. It was a bit difficult because we’re only six now, but everything worked out fine.
We were all at the front from the beginning and tried to make sure that no dangerous big group escapes. Tow or three time a group could break away, but Mü and me could close the gap and kept everything together. Finally, only seven riders escaped, we can be quite satisfied with that. Martin, Cortinovis and me were to catch up with the group again. We got help from Liquigas, who wanted to defend Di Luca’s overall lead, from Credit Agricole, who also has two good sprinters, and from Saunier Duval, who are leading the team classification.
So we were between five and seven riders behind the lead group. We kept them at a distance of two to three minutes, that’s a distance to be controlled. We tried to play with them a bit, let them go and caught up again. But who knows, maybe they played with us as well. Some time before the finish the distance was at 2:30 minutes, so that we had to give everything on the last 50 kilometers. Actually, we controlled the group, and I rode in front until five kilometers to go. In the finale I didn’t try anymore, because when you give all for 200 kilometers the legs are just too heavy. But the other two were there, and Petacchi won. Right before the finish there was a crash of two riders, but fortunately we got around it.
When I crossed the finish line I jeered, for I heared that Petacchi won. It’s great to have your share at such a success. During the race we also heared that Erik won in Bavaria. So it was a really perfect day.
Now we’ve got a transfer of another 50 kilometrs, but it’s comfortable in the bus. This evening we’ll have a glass of champagne, that’s tradition. And I think we’ll keep it up today as well.
See you tomorrow,
Christian
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Giro d'Italia: 30 May 2024
Dear Team MILRAM fans,
today I’m quite fine again. In the beginning I had some problems with breathing due to my cold. My nose was stuffed. But it got better soon. First we rode slightly uphill, then in the first mountain classification it got steeper. But it was ok, I got over the mountian quite well. Shortly after the mountain classification a spoke in my back wheel broke, which isn’ that good for the descent. The wheel was changed at the teamcar then, which took some time. But towards the end of the descent I was back in the main group.
Then a top group escaped, but I didn’t try to join them. I wanted to regenerate and just ride along, tomorrow’s stage will be important. This is also how I went into the last two mountains. The final climb was really hard, with an average rise of twelve per cent, at some part even 22 per cent. So we chained as small-sized as possible. 34 in the front, 28 at the back. This isn’t actually a professional translation, but it was necessary. We also had to pedal quite hard, but it was fine. There were even riders who used shifter usually used for mountainbikes.
Today I didn’t really worry about my speed and arrived 16 minutes after the winner. But in this case it doesn’t really matter if your on rank 63, 70 or 80 in the overall classification. I’m glad that we managed the day, it was really hard.
Now I’m sitting in the bus and we’ve got another 90 kilometer to go to the hotel. I have just taken a shower, the boiler is working again. Tomorrow’s stage will be very important for us. It’s a flat stage and we’re the only sprinter team. So it won’t be easy to keep the field together.
See you tomorrow,
Christian
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Giro d'Italia: 29 May 2024
Dear Team MILRAM fans,
it wasn’t a good day today. The snow line was below 1.700 meters and we had to pass a mountain of 2.000. Right at the start it was still half dry, but after a few minutes it started to rain. Then it went directly uphills, and we did the climb quite relaxedly. First, everything was very uncertain. Due to the bad weather the riders had made the suggestion to start but then to take the bus or car over the mountain. We wanted to start in the town here in any case, because it is important for it, which has payed a lot of money to be a stage of the Giro. But the plan was annihilated soon and we calmly rode up the mountain.
During the climb it was really cold already, but in the descent it got even colder. There was no rider who didn’t tremble. We even stopped in a tunnel to warm up a bit and to get more clothes from the team cars. Here there were discussions with the race direction again why we have to ride at such a weather. But from the feeding zone, at about half of the distance onwards, it got dryer. However, I was still cold. Then we went into the mountains and the race really stared. Suddenly I was warm because I wore too many clothes. So I rode at the back first. But towards the end I went forward into the field, where I also finished the race.
Well, that’s a bad day. Since the last rainy stage I also got a cold. That’s probably becauseit was so hot first, and then cold and rainy. For this such a stage isn’t very good. I hope tomorrow won’t be like that again. However, it’s going to be a really hard stage in any case. The average rise is 12 per cent, with a maximum raise of 22. It is rumoured that you can’t even get up there if it’s wet. So let’s wait and see.
Now we just arrived at the hotel. It’s situated high up in the mountains, about 40 kilometers away from Lienz. Today, the boiler in the bus didn’t work, so we weren’t even able to shower. This I have to do now. But at the moment Mü is still taking a bath. I let him go first. For this, I got the bigger bed.
See you tomorrow,
Christian
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Giro d'Italia: 28 May 2024
Dear Team MILRAM fans,
this afternoon we got the news that Fabio Sabatini’s pains come from a broken bone. He partially fractured his left thigh in a crash at the fourth stage – it’s crazy how long he hung on and tortured himself. Compliments.
I caught a little cold yesterday. First I only had a sore throat, now my nose’s stuffed as well. I hope I can regenerate on today’s rest day. It can only get better.
Here it rained all day today. This is why we only rode for an hour on the simulator. But we also saw teams who rode outside... We were in the supermarket with the car, this was all of today’s activities. I took a little nap in the afternoon while Martin watched TV. Then there was some stretching and massage and now we’ll have dinner.
Actually, that was all of this rainy day of rest. Tomorrow I hope I’ve got more to tell, and I hope the weather will be better as well.
See you tomorrow,
Christian
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Giro d'Italia: 27 May 2024
Dear Team MILRAM fans,
we’ve been in the car for quite some time now, but I still feel the cold. Today the weather was bad, rainy and cold. So it wasn’t really fun, especially the cold was pretty disgusting...
Ant then the course, it was really brutal. In the beginning it was flat, but then we got into the mountains. I was quite at the front to have a look at everything. When I saw the right moment I attacked. I was part of the group of 22. We had a lead of about seven minutes, but me and many other riders knew that we wouldn’t arrive in the finish like that. I’m not a rider for these stages anyway. But I thought at least I should get over the first mountains. At the Pellegrino the group with Di Luca came from behind pretty fast. They rode into the next mountain with quite a high speed and again pulled through in the descent, so it was over for me soon. I rode at my speed and didn’t risk too much in the descent. When you’re not in a top condition something can happen quite soon. Finally I rode in a small group and arrived in the finish 24 minutes behind. But on the final climb the group fell apart again.
It was a really hard climb. The last kilometer was like hell, it seemed to get longer and longer. You already could see the finish, but it didn’t get closer at all. So I was really glad when I had made it. Right after arriving at the mountain top I went downhills again. I put my rainjacket on and rode to the bus. It’s not very nice to be freezing during the climb already, it’s not getting better in the descent. So we forced our way through the waiting viewers.
We already rode past the hotel we’re staying in. It’s at the descent of the Pellegrino. It’s probably going to be funny at the rest day tomorrow, we have to ride uphills in the training anyway. Let’s see, maybe we go down to the village, it’s flat there and we couls do a criterium in the pedestrian zone.
But now I’m glad to have a day off. This is the reason why I tried again today. I knew that I can regenerate tomorrow. And I wanted to show myself at the Giro. Furthermore, there are only hard stages waiting for us.
See you tomorrow,
Christian
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Giro d'Italia: 26 May 2024
Dear Team MILRAM fans,
now I've got a lot of time for the diary again. We're in the daily traffic chaos after a Giro stage with our bus. Now we're on the way for 20 minutes and haven't even made a kilometer. And it's 110 to go to the hotel. So we won't have dinner before 9 p.m. again.
Today we started near Como. The whole night it rained and there was a thunderstorm. It continued raining a bit in the morning, so that the streets were really wet. The first kilometers we rode along the lake. It was really windy, I'd say rather stormy. The weather was somehow strange, it made you dress too warm. But I didn't make the mistake, because I thought it could get really hot. So I only wore only a vest. When I saw Thomas Fothen with his warm rain jacket before the start I went to him and said: "You'd better put it off, it's getting hot soon." He looked at me a little confusedly, but listened to me. And he probably was thankful in the end.
Then it really started. There were a lot of attacks on the first 85 kilometers. On the first climb a big top group was built, I stayed in the group with Danilo di Luca. Two kilometers to the mountain top I had to let go. In the descent however I could catch up again. I rode into the second climb really fast, so I was gone pretty soon. I rode up with my speed and looked for a group. And on the last 30 kilometers we rode relaxedly into the finish.
But now I'm glad that I can relax a bit in the bus. I could have taken the race car to the hotel, but the bus is more comfortable. Although it takes more time. Well, tomorrow will be really hard again, then there's the second rest day.
See you tomorrow,
Christian
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Giro d'Italia: 25 May 2024
Dear team MILRAM fans,
today we went to the start quite early. We sat in the bus for some time and had something to eat. And precautiously calculated the time limet, you never know...
For me the time trial was ok. I warmed up for an hour, and the race was quite good although the mountain was hard to estimate. However it was really difficult. I wasn’t too fast and not too slow. In the end I caught up with an Euskatel-rider who started two minutes before me. A good sign to know you’re not the last one.
The night however was terrible. It was really hot, the airconditioning didn’t work. Either it was too cold or it was off. Opening the windows wasn’t possible either for we were right above a main street. So we felt like having slept on the motorway in the morning, like being hit by a lorry.
Now we’re looking forward to the next day off. Finally relaxing in the hotel. We hardly had time for that due to all the travelling and long trandfers. We did nothing but cycling, eating, massage and sleeping. Today for example we had a transfer of 120 kilometers. There’s not much time left. But I hope we can relax on monday.
See you tomorrow,
Christian
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Giro d'Italia: 24 May 2024
Dear Team MILRAM fans,
we didn’t really notice a lot of the topic of the day. If the guys of Gerolsteiner hadn’t seen the press conference on TV we wouldn’t have heard anything here at the race. There aren’t so many German riders here. Well, what shall I say? At that time I was 15 or 16 and watched the races on TV. Somehow you’re a bit disappointed, but as I got to know Erik I believe him. What is important is that everything is enlighened. I can’t say anything about the press conference as I couldn’t watch it. But it’s my second year now in the team with Erik and I believe him that he is riding cleanly.
The race was rather calm today. If I had ridden properly I could have arrived in the finish with a gap of about ten minutes on rank 60, but what would it have been worth? So I rode in the grupetto with the whole team. It was about relaxing a bit today.
Today I will try similarly. Warm up a bit and then ride in a relaxed speed. But not too slowly as I don’t want to fall out of time.
See you tomorrow,
Christian
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Giro d'Italia: 23 May 2024
Dear Team MILRAM fans,
today I tried something new. I slid into the finish on my bum, and the bike somewhere behind me. I hope I will be in the classification, for you have to cross the line together with the bike… Well, fortunately I wasn’t injured. My back hurts a bit, but one of the two abrasions is right above the one I already had, and the knee on which I fell doesn’t hurt more than it already did at the moment.
I the finale I rode in the wind until for kilometers to the finish to keep our train out as long as possible. Then I went out and in again about 20 positions later because I thought I could ride to the front again to help again. But no chance – however it worked out perfectly for Alessandro anyway. But then some riders slid on the slippery paint of the adverts on the finish line. I tried to break, but then I fell on my bum and slid into the finish without the bike. The first thing I thought when I got slower was to jump back on the bike again. First of all I rescued myself to the fence and looked what was coming behind – but fortunately the others behind could break in time, otherwise they would have slid into us. So that’s not so bad, we won anyway.
Otherwise it was a quiet day. You can feel that some riders are pretty done now. So we started to roll quite relaxedly. On the first classification four riders escaped, that would have been an ideal group. But one after the other stopped to pee except one, they just didn’t want to continue… So Mickael Buffaz was in the lead on his own. He realised pretty soon that it’s no worth to ride at full speed – then we would have ridden full speed as well. So he hopefully had a nice day in the lead as we did in the back. So it was pretty much a little rest day. It was terribly hot again anyway. Some took the chance to have an ice cream. One of them stopped in front of a bar, bought ice cream and passed it out. Unfortunately I didn’t get one… But you also need days like that. The last stages had 250 and 200 kilometers, that’s hard. And today wasn’t so relaxed for everybody, Martin says. Sure, he had to ride the last 50 kilometers in the front to catch up Mickael Buffaz. Well, there’s always work to do… And so much about a flat stage, finally there were 1500 meters of height on our speedo.
Tomorrow we’ll be right in the mountains again. I think there are only two more sprint stages anyway. We’ll see, but not tomorrow. So I’ll go into the stage relaxedly. Just get over it…
See you tomorrow,
Christian
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Giro d'Italia: 22 May 2024
Dear Team MILRAM fans,
finally we arrived at the hotel. Actually it wasn’t that far, ten kilometres down the mountain with the bike and then another twelve kilometres with the bus. But it takes some time for everybody to arrive after a mountain stage… And Alessandro has to go to the podium celebration for the sprint jersey, so we all waited. So it’s good that you can shower and eat in the bus already.
Otherwise today wasn’t that good. Ghisalberti dropped out in the feeding zone. He had pains in his back. So apart from Ongarato, who dropped out due to knee aches from a crash, another rider is missing. And my knee hasn’t improved as well, on the opposite. In the beginning everything was alright, the first 50 kilometers were flat and we rode with an average speed of 51 along the see and I was part of the groups. Finally I was in a bigger group with two riders of Saunier – but at the mountain I was done. Sometimes it hurt so bad that I thought about giving up. But uphill it was better than downhill. Pulling through again after the descents hurt so bad that I could only give 75 per cent in my left leg. So it’s not that good to have such problems after only 50 kilometers when 200 are to go. But I wanted to force myself through that. Tomorrow will be flat again and I want to ride for Alessandro. It was ok regarding the power, but the pains were hell. On the last two mountains I was rather in the front again, but then I let go. Finally I was twelve minutes behind, but that doesn’t matter.
So now I hope that the knee will be ok tomorrow and that there will be a sprint again. But for this I have to go to the massage and treatment first. We put creams on the knee and bandage it. I already rode with a bandage today. I really want to finish the Giro, but if it doesn’t make sense I’ll have to give up. But first I want to keep on fighting.
See you tomorrow,
Christian
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Giro d'Italia: 21 May 2024
Dear Team MILRAM fans,
I’m about to feel better now. I still had some problems with my right knee today, but it’ll be fine soon. I think I already had my bad days for this tour. It almost felt like sore muscles for a few days, but now it’s getting better. Fortunately, today wasn’t that bad, but very hot. Before the start I went back to the car again to put off my under shirt, although I only wore the summer jersey.
During the race T-Mobile controlled first and we joined them with a gap of two and a half minutes to the top. However, I had to go along already 15 kilometers to the finish because Müller and Ghisalberty had already worked a lot. The rest was a little chaotic and in the finale we missed Ongarato as well. He still suffers from contusions he contracted in the crash on the rainy stage. But Lancaster did a perfect job as last man. But unfortunately, two riders passed Petacchi in the end. It’s a real pitty, a win right before his home would have been perfect.
After a week we already got used to the tour life. Another hotel every day, the same procedure every day. It’s getting on your nerves sometimes. And I have to admit that I’m getting oblivious. When I get up from dinner I sometimes forgot the floor of my room – and that’s not all, I also have to remember my room number. Fortunately there are our plans hanging in the elevator or the halls. But I miss a pair of bathing shoes. I have no idea if I left them in a hotel room or at the massage, however, they are gone. But that’s not too bad, forgetting my iPod would be worse…
So, I’ve got phone my family now. It’s my mom’s birthday, and of course I send her the best wishes on this way.
See you tomorrow,
Christian
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Giro d'Italia: 20 May 2024
Dear Team MILRAM fans,
today it wasn’t really my stage. Right after the start there was a climb of 13 kilometers. So it took some time for me to get warm. I forced myself over the mountain, our riders were about half a minute behind, but in the descent they caught up without problems. Then a top group escaped on the wavy terrain. T-Mobile and Saunier Duval tried to control the gap, but that’s not easy with such a big top group. It was a great achievement by T-Mobile to defend the pink jersey.
We soon realised that the gap was too big to finish with a bunch sprint. It would have cost too much energy. So we wanted to save power for the coming days, the Giro still goes for two more weeks. Anyway, it was a really exhausting day. We didn’t ride more slowly than the riders in the lead, so it was very hard again today. Everything went so fast today that there wasn’t even time left for a pee break.
But tomorrow there’s another day and another chance. The finish is only 100 meters away from Alessandro’s home. So we want to try again. But it’s going to be difficult, there is a mountain again right after the start which is more than 1.000 meters high. But finally there are 80 flat kilometres in the end. I hope my knee will be better then. After the mass crash a few days ago I had a quite severe knee ache and some contusions. But it was better today. I hope I’ll be without pain in the coming days. So keep your fingers crossed.
See you tomorrow,
Christian
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Giro d'Italia: 19 May 2024
Dear Team MILRAM fans,
today we just had to win. For yesterday I forgot something really important: my wife’s bracelet! It’s something like a talisman. Yesterday, an hour before the start I realised that I forgot the bracelet. It was in my suitcase, and that was in the bus. Well, I had it with me today, and it worked out.
Today was the longest stage of the Giro. T-Mobile, with the carrier of the pink jersey, Marco Pinotti, wanted to show themselves from the beginning and controlled the race very well. It started relatively slowly and after about 15 kilometers four riders broke away. When they had established a gap of about 100 meters they rode in front of the field for some time and then started to discuss. Probably about weather to continue the escape or not, for the stage was pretty long and a bunch sprint finale to be predicted. It looked quite funny from behind. But then they extended their lead to about ten minutes.
Then T-Mobile started to reduce the gap. We joined them, and from kilometre 150 the lead decreased. At the mountain 50 kilometers to the finish Quick Step suddenly pulled through. They probably wanted to get rid of as many sprinters as possible during the climb, and it partly worked out. But me and Alessandro got over it very well within the field. 20 kilometers to the finish the other sprinters like Thor Hushovd and Robbie McEwen were close again. For us it was very good that Quick Step had worked so hard. We just had to follow. In the finale we really joined in, first me from kilometer five to three, then Lorenzetto and Sabatini. Everything worked out fine and we were so happy about Alessandro’s win. It was a team success again, we all worked for it. We’ll see what happens tomorrow. Right after the start there’s a climb over 13 kilometers. So keep your fingers crossed.
See you tomorrow,
Christian
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Giro d'Italia: 18 May 2024
Dear Team MILRAM fans,
it was a really hard stage today with three mountains. The course of the race was like it was expected: Liquigas didn’t give everything to defend Danilo Di Luca’s pink jersey. On the first 50 kilometers there were several attacks, but then five riders escaped and the race got more quiet. Liquigas controlled the race easily.
The wavy course at the beginning hurt pretty much. My legs weren’t that good and I didn’t feel so well. I actually wanted to be in a break today, but that didn’t work out. I tried twice but then I realised that it won’t work. We rode over the mountains within the field, without too much speed. In the finale I was in the main group with Mirco Lorenzetto and Alessandro Petacchi and we could prepare the sprint for rank seven. Alessandro’s aim was to extend the lead in the points classification as Robbie McEwen dropped back to the guppetto in the final climb. I think we did it quite well, it was ok for the team. Now, Alessandro has a lead of 13 points.
Tomorrow will be hard again. The stage is going to be long and there's a high mountain. It’s difficult to predict what’s going to happen. There are 50 kilometers to go from the mountain to the finish, but when the climber start through… We’ll see what happens.
See you tomorrow,
Christian
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Giro d'Italia: 17 May 2024
Dear Team MILRAM fans,
what a finale today… After the last mountain classification there was a descent of ten kilometers, that was blood and thunder. Sorry, but that’s not my cup of tea. And then such a stupid end: The Panaria-rider hampered Petacchi twice, what’s this for? Had he gone to his back wheel he would have finshed second, so he finished nothing at all. That’s stupid of course, otherwise Petacchi would have won. Well, it’s not bad to see a German rider win, but of course I’d have been happy if one of our team had won, because Petacchi would have made it.
Otherwise, everything was rather quiet today. I didn’t have a lot to do. We tried to control the race from the beginning to avoid an escape of a too big or dangerous group, and that worked out. After that we controlled the gap, which wasn’t too hard today.Fortunately, for I didn’t sleep really well. Somehow I still feel yesterday’s crash in my left side and my back hurts as well. I don’t think about tomorrow now. We just arrived in the hotel and I didn’t have a shower in the bus. I that we’d arrive at the hotel quite soon, but we didn’t due to the traffic. But the hotel’s quite good, I already know it from last year. We were there during Tirreno – Adriatico – by the way the same finish as today.
Well, now I’ll have a shower, then a massage and then dinner. I think the food was quite good here last time.
See you tomorrow,
Christian
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Giro d'Italia: 16 May 2024
Dear Team MILRAM fans,
What a pity, two kilometers to the finish I had to let go. I felt really well today. Up to three or four kilometers to the finish everything was fine, but then it got a bit steeper and in the lead they rode at a really high speed. I couldn’t keep up and continued at my speed. But I can be satisfied. I’m not the typical climber, but two kilometers to the finish nobody likes to let go ...
Altogether today everything was quite chaotic. Although the day started so good. The Giro is always very relaxed. One of the most relaxed tours I know. Before the start most of the riders are in the so-called Giro village, where all the sponsors present themselves. We already wondered why an hour to the start everybody was out of the busses, that never happens usually. So we went out as well and chatted in a little German round. Mü – Martin Müller – was there and some Gerolsteiner-riders. It wasn’t a big German round yet, but this might still come the longer we’re away from home.
After the start it was quiet first. We rode along a coast road relaxedly. Then it started to rain, which was quite pleasant first, for the last days were pretty hot here. But the streets got really slippery soon. Then, later about 100 riders crashed at the same time, independent of each other. I never saw something like that. Me and Mü already talked about the dangerous streets, and suddenly everybody was lying on the street. First I thought I could get through, but then I fell as well. Fortunately nothing happened. The only one of us who was hurt was Fabio, he just jobbled to the bus. Mü and me got some abrasions, but that’s not so bad. After that, everything was good. Saunier-Duval controlled the race and I could ride along very well. All the time at the back wheel of Salvodelli & Co.
Now we’ve got another 70 kilometer to go to the hotel. The bus already waited for us when we descended from the mountain after the finish, so everything went quite fast. So now we already had a shower, our abrasions are attended and we can relax a bit. But now I have to call Nathalie first. She had her last working day yesterday and is now on maternity leave. She just texted me that she saw me on TV and congratulated me for my performance.
See you tomorrow,
Christian
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Giro d'Italia: 15 May 2024
Dear Team MILRAM fans,
actually, it didn’t happen a lot today. It was the first rest day because of the transfer. However, the day was long enough anyway, so it wasn’t a real day off. We departed from the hotel at 9.30 a.m.. Our plane started at 11.30 a.m. and we arrived on the mainland about an hour later. From the airport we had another 100 kilometers to go by bus until we arrived in the hotel. Quite exhausting everything – in this case I prefer the smaller tours like in Lower Saxony – there are hardly any transfers. In the hotel we had dinner first, then we went for a training round for about an hour and that was it actually. I’ll have my massage soon, and then I hope we’re well prepared for tomorrow, and then we’ll se what happens.
See you tomorrow,
Christian
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Giro d'Italia: 14 May 2024
Dear Team MILRAM fans,
it can’t be better than today. We won and we can be satisfied. Today, everything happened quite fast again, right at the beginning five riders broke away. Liquigas, who has the pink jersey, controlled the race and granted the escapees a gap of six minutes. That’s not unusual, this actually can be closed soon. From our team, Cortinovis joined the pursuit after 50 kilometers, and Martin Müller after 100 kilometers. But the escapees fought so hard that they still had a lead of five minutes 40 kilometers to the finish.
We gave everything to catch up with them again, which was so exhausting that we couldn’t give all in the sprint anymore. But Alessandro made it on his own. After the race we all had to go on the podium as we were honoured as the „super-team“. I’m not sure how this classification comes about, but is’s a kind of team classification to honour our work of yesterday and today. So first Alessandro came onto the podium, then the riders for the jerseys and then us. That’s a great feeling.
On the way to the hotel, everything got a bit chaotic. We only had a piece of paper with the name of the hotel and a description of the way: two kilometers straight onwards and then to the right. Which was a bit difficult in the town here. On the way we met some policemen on motor scooters and asked them about the way. Finally, they showed us the way and we were taken to the hotel with a police escort. That was really weired.
This evening we’ll relax a bit. We’re not going to celebrate a lot, for our soigneurs are already on the ferry to the mainland. We’ll take the plane tomorrow at noon. The time’s not that good, because you can’t do anything in the morning and then it’s getting stressy. So we won’t have a lot of the day off. But now we’ll relax. I’m going to lie down a bit, and at dinner we’ll clink glasses with some champagne like we always do when one of us has won.
See you tomorrow,
Christian
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Giro d'Italia: 13 May 2024
Dear Team MILRAM fans,
today, everything was quite fast, right in the morning there was an escape of five riders. Alessandro Petacchi forgot his little computer this morning, and I had it in my pocket. When I rode to him to give it to him at the beginning of the race, the five were gone already. Up to the feeding zone, however, everything was quite relaxed today. But then we followed Liquigas because they've got the pink jersey. Martin Müller rode along, and from that moment on the gap decreased.
Then on the last mountain the classics-riders like Bettini and Rebellin attackt again and I was there as well. Then I waited for the other riders of my team and rode behind the teams making the speed. 4 kilometers to the finish the others came with Alessandro and we rode in the lead. From kilometer three to two I was in the front, the other five behind me. We prepared the sprint very well, but Alessandro finished only third. But our train did good work and we managed the last mountain well. We can build on this. I think we’re on the right way. And tomorrwo’s stage probably suits us as well.
Now I’m in the bus, and we’ve another 100 kilometers to go to our next hotel. It’s going to be quite a long day. When we’re finished with dinner and massage it’s probably going to be 10 p.m.. Usually we watch a film on our laptop in the evening, but I think not today. Otherwise it’ll be about 12, and we have to be fit again tomorrow when another exhausting stage is expecting us, on which we want to make another attempt.
See you tomorrow,
Christian
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Giro d'Italia: 12 May 2024
Dear Team MILRAM fans,
the results of today’s team time trial weren’t that good unfortunately. Actually, we resolved more for today. Our time was 35.11 minutes, the winner-team needed 33.35 minutes. That’s quite a difference. At least we wanted to finish on a rank within reach of the pink jersey for Alessandro, but we’re quite far away from that. Well, the others were faster.
It was pretty windy today, and we weren’t sure about the wheels. We didn’t take disk wheels then, but other teams didn’t as well, so that can’t be the reason. Somhow we just didn’t get into the right rhythm, and the course with the constant up and down didn’t suit us as well. But we have to forget that, there’s another 20 stages waiting for us.
Tomorrow, the race finally starts. I felt quite good today, and the team’s fit and well prepared. Tomorrow there will be the first sprint stage, that means we’ll give everything for Alessandro. So I’ll try to forget today and think of tomorrow. And I’m sure we can show a good performance.
See you tomorrow,
Christian
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Giro d'Italia: 11 May 2024
Dear Team MILRAM fans,
today, the presentation of the Giro-teams took place on an italian aircraft carrier. Before we went there, we did some training for about three hours. The presentation took quite a long time. We went to the harbour by car, then by boat to the aircraft carrier.
The ship iteslf was quite interesting, an old war ship of the italian navy. While we were waiting for the event to start we had a closer look at the planes and helicopters that are on the ship. Then we were taken onto the deck by a huge lifting platform. On deck we had to go up and down the runway. The journalists were standing on our left and right, and the teams walked along the runway. Before we returned everyone had to say his name, then we were taken down again by the lifting platform. After that, we returned to the hotel by boat and car.
Now, I just had a massage, and in a few minutes a team meeting is scheduled. Gianluigi Stanga arrived today and wants to talk to all of us again before the race starts tomorrow. Maybe he wants to get us in the mood for the Giro again. Tomorrow morning we’ll do some training again, and at 3 p.m. the team time trial starts. So it won’t be boring for us tomorrow.
See you tomorrow,
Christian
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Giro d'Italia: 10 May 2024
Dear Team MILRAM Fans,
now the Giro d’Italia can start. I arrived here in Sardinia yesterday in the morning. Me and Martin Müller were the first to get to the hotel. My plane started in Cologne, Martin’s in Berlin. The rest of the team arrived in the evening. In the afternoon Martin and me went for a training round. It is really windy here and not a meter flat, so that we rode about 90 kilometers in three hours. But it’s really beautiful here, great weather and such a blue sea. It really makes you feel like holidays. But not for us, we’re here for cycling.
This morning we went to the UCI blood control first, then we had a look at the course for the time trial on Saturday. This doesn’t take place here on Sardinia but on a small island off the coast. So we went there by ferry, exercised for three hours and wanted to go back again. But there was no ferry first, so that we had to do another round before we could go back. So a three hours’ training took us altogether four and a half hours.
The course for the time trial is really difficult. It is very windy here and it goes up and down all the time on a narrow street with many turns. The descents are pretty dangerous as well, so that we really have to be careful. So the best thing is to try to find the right balance between accelerating and slowing down again.
The mood in the team is very good. Everybody is well prepared and we’re looking forward to the tour. At the moment there’s some time left until Saturday, and then there’s only a time trial over 24 kilometers. A lot of waiting time, so that it gets boring sometimes as well and we’re all happy when the tour finally starts. Today, I had a closer look at the altitude profile of the course, and it’s getting pretty difficult. There are some hard mountain stages, but also some stages that suit us. I’m not really very nervous, at least not more than at other races. I already rode the Giro once so I know what comes up to me. So let’s wait and see.
See you tomorrow,
Christian
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