Worlds Men TT race = More Faboulous Than Usual Fabian!!!

So,today there was the Worlds Championship TT race in Mendrisio.
Italian tv started to broadcast the race at 3.30 pm.At that time the best time was Tom Zirbel's one and Pinotti hadn't finished his race yet.The Professor's timechecks were all better than Zirbel's ones,so me was really hoping for a good placement for him.Unfortunately the Professor slowed down in the last part of the parcours and placed himself few seconds behind Zirbel.
At the beginning I didn't think that Pinotti's time was a very good one,but then I turned out to be wrong.The Italian rider in fact rode better than guys like Konovalovas,Vinokourov, Rabon, Brajkovic,Tuft and Rosseler.
The problems for the Professor (and also for USA's Zirbel) began when Toni Martin, Bradley Wiggins,Gustav Larsson,Fabian Cancellara and Bert Grabsch started their own races.
Toni immediately set the best time at the first timecheck,while Cancellara rode in a very aggressive way since the beginning.Anyway,Pinotti's time at the first timecheck was better than Larsson's,Wiggo's and Grabsch's ones-and of course me was very happy about this.
Then the Cancellara show began.Fabian firstly caught Larsson,who stayed behind him for some kms.After some time the Swiss rider caught also Bradley Wiggins and Sebastian Rosseler (who had already been caught by Toni Martin as well).
The gold medal soon started to look out of reach for everyone but Cancellara,while Larsson seemed to be heading towards the silver medal.Wiggo and Martin instead were fighting hard to get the bronze medal.
At the top of the hardest climb of the parcours,Wiggo suddenly had a mechanical problem.He got off the saddle,saw that the team car wasn't behind him,grabbed his bike and threw it on the road,looking very angry and disappointed.
I felt very sorry for Wiggo in that moment and I have to admit that,if I were him,I would have grabbed my bike and throw it over the barriers in David Millar's style (see this vid-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIW1MAvyPD4-if you want to understand what I mean).But unfortunately,bad luck happens,and it usually happens when you less expect it.
Anyway,as old Latin used to say,"mors tua vita mea".Thanks to Wiggo's mechanical problem,Toni Martin could eventually get the bronze medal.The young German rider sat on the ground as soon as he crossed the finish-line and looked completely worn out.
Few seconds after him,Cancellara arrived.Lots of people were supporting him and he raised his arms before of crossing the finish-line.Then Larsson arrived and got his silver medal,coming in 2nd place.
Wiggo arrived after Gustav and finally came in 20th,while Grabsch was the last rider to finish the race.
The final top 10 was the following:
1 Fabian Cancellara (Switzerland) 0:57:55.74
2 Gustav Larsson (Sweden) 0:01:27.13
3 Tony Martin (Germany) 0:02:30.18
4 Tom Zirbel (United States Of America) 0:02:47.12
5 Marco Pinotti (Italy) 0:03:02.88
6 Janez Brajkovic (Slovenia) 0:03:08.49
7 Koos Moerenhout (Netherlands) 0:03:11.59
8 Alexandre Vinokourov (Kazakhstan) 0:03:20.95
9 Ignatas Konovalovas (Lithuania) 0:03:33.88
10 Bert Grabsch (Germany) 0:03:37.39 .

Before of talking a bit about some of the best riders of the race,I'd like to talk a bit about Eduard Novak,a Romanian rider who finally came in 63th and took 11 minutes more than Cancellara to finish the race.This incredible rider in fact has just one leg and won the Worlds for people with physical handicap 10 days ago.Eduard had a car accident in 1996 and since then he has lived without a leg.Today he's said that he "didn't want to finish last" and achieved his goal.To read more about Novak,here's a 2008 interview about him: http://www.gsp.ro/english/gsp-special/superreportaje/read-here-eduard-novak-s-story-the-champion-without-leg-a-hero-in-the-saddle-109380.html .

Post race comments:
BRADLEY WIGGINS_"I dropped my chain at the bottom of the climb but I did the climb anyway,I did not want to change the wheel at the bottom.I jumped off my bike at the top without knowing the car wasn't there."
Prior to the mechanical issues on the final climb, Wiggins admitted that had eased off after being passed by Cancellara.He said he was by the the Swiss rider's slipstream although he was following at distance considered fair by race commissares.
"I thought 'I am just going to sit up,this is no way to win the bronze.'I felt like I was cheating a bit. ...The same thing with Larsson,I don't think he is a worthy silver medallist.Tony Martin is a silver medallist for me."

Also MARCO PINOTTI talked about Larsson."I'm a bit disappointed about my race,since I hoped to get better in the last part of the parcours but I couldn't.Anyway today's placement means that in the future I may even get better.Larsson? He was helped by Cancellara,that didn't realise it.To see another rider in front of you while you're riding a TT really helps you.In my opinon,Tony Martin was the true silver medallist".The Professor is becoming father in 2 months time and,when asked about this,he replied: "I'm very happy about this.There isn't just cycling in life.Today was just a TT,a race,there are nicer and most important things in life".

GUSTAV LARSSON said that he wasn’t surprised to be caught by Cancellara."Like he said himself,he was going out really,really hard,"said the Swede."I was going hard, but not super hard.I thought he would come from behind;he has won by big margins before,so I wasn’t frightened.I saw as I crossed the line after one lap that I was five seconds faster than everyone else and I was going fast.Anyway,I don’t think that a minute gap between the riders is enough.It should be two minutes and usually it is two minutes in big time trials.I think that’s how it should be.It’s really hard with so many riders, and there were five groups today,but I think it’s important."
Catching Wiggo was a surprise for Gustav."It was a good feeling.I know one minute is not that far,but I was a little bit surprised that I caught him.On the first lap I saw his car ahead of me so I already felt that he was getting closer to me.I was a bit surprised,but it was a good sign for me,it confirmed I was going well."
As for Cancellara,Larsson could only say:"You have to give it him–he’s the better man.I don’t think it’s impossible to beat him some day in the future,but I really need to step up my game.I need to work on my own performance.Everybody can improve on everything.But it will be really hard to do.I know when he gets it right he has phenomenal power."

FABIAN CANCELLARA said: "It was a perfect day,a perfect time trial,but it's difficult to say if it's my best.Beijing and today were the most beautiful ones.The Olympics and the worlds are very different.The Olympics are the biggest thing an athlete can do,but winning at home is also a fantastic experience.The support from the crowd, and the Swiss flags-it helpe.Above all, I had prepared mentally. My tactic was to give it my maximum.Larsson was one of the favourites and I had the advantage starting behind him.To take so much time out of him demonstrates that I did everything right".
"Last year I prepared well for Beijing, but I didn't have the confidence for the road race" said Cancellara."This year I am confident;I have the mental strength.My legs are ready but so is my head.I dream of doing the double.I said during the Vuelta that I think I can do it.I have the motivation,the determination,and the confidence. always achieve what I say is a target,but of course the World Championship road race has its own rules.We have a six-man team.Others have nine, and the race will be very hard.But I have set the bar high,and I have the belief.If I didn't,I would stay at home."

Tomorrow there is the rest day at the Worlds,then on Saturday there will be the U-23 and the women road race.