Tour de France - Cancellara adds to his collection
Eurosport - Sat, 04 Jul 20:19:00 2009
Fabian Cancellara added a yellow jersey to his formidable collection of honours when he outclassed the rest of the peloton to win the 15.5 kilometre Tour de France opener.
The Olympic time trial gold medallist, Swiss champion and former world champion, left pre-Tour favourite Alberto Contador 18 seconds adrift in the time trial.
"It was hot and damp like in Beijing. I'm not saying that this is even better than the Olympics but this is Monaco, this is the Tour and I was wearing the same bib number as in London," Cancellara said.
The 2007 Tour start in London ago was another career highlight for the time trial specialist, who won the prologue and kept the leader's yellow jersey for a week that year.
The 28-year-old won his first Tour curtain raiser in 2004 in Liege.
"I did not go as fast as a Formula One car but it was close," joked Cancellara after stage, which was partly held on the course of the Monaco Grand Prix.
The Saxo Bank rider was the favourite on the docks of Monaco's old port after winning the Tour of Switzerland and his national road title.
"I'm in great shape and it was obvious, with such form, that if I played it well, I would be hard to beat", said the 2006 and 2007 time trial world champion.
The win allowed his Saxo Bank team to retain the yellow jersey last held by Spain's Carlos Sastre, the defending champion who now rides for Cervelo.
"I came here to win this opener in Monte Carlo. Now that I've achieved this, I hope we will keep the yellow jersey and even strengthen it until the team time trial.
"We also have Frank and Andy Schleck in the team to take it all the way to Paris," he said.
Among those well beaten by Cancellara were seven-times champion Lance Armstrong, who finished 10th, 40secs behind, in his first Tour since 2005.
"I don't look at Lance or Alberto or other riders. I ride for myself. I think I've proved I was the best time trial rider in the world for the past couple of years, Cancellara said.
"Time passes. I'll get older too and young riders will arrive and beat me."
Stage Two LIVE at 12:15 on Sunday July 5 on British Eurosport (Sky 410 / Virgin Media 521); Also available on your PC via the Eurosport Player - click on the link under the picture to subscribe
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Comment 1 - 4 of 4
@AndJusticForAll, you should look at the nature of the win, not just the margin. Cancellara was actually behind both Contador and Wiggins at the top of the climb - all his gains were made on the descent - principally because (in addition to the power) he's a heavier rider and a great bike handler. Show me any doping products that make a rider go faster downhill??!! An ignorant and moronic comment.
AndJusticeForAll, that might have seemed an unreal performance against the other riders, but it is typical Cancellara power.
He did the same in London. I saw him from the roadside, and he was visably quicker round the sharp bend where I was standing.
It was a shame that there was not another time check at the bottom of the climb today, before the flat. Because I bet Fabian desended faster than anyone else.
So if he is taking anything (which I doubt) he has been on it for quite a few years now.
To blow away the whole lot in such a short distance for such a big margin I think it's supiciously too much to stand up. I think blood analisys and samples should be taken from this 'athlete' until proved doper in the name of Cancellara and be compared with other top riders. Maybe he is superhuman but it must be thanx to some boosting stuff we do not know yet and hopefully we will not ever know. So far I am in awe at such super human performance by Fabian Cancellara. God help him hold on.
Who is a leader of Astana?
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