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Ciaran and Bjornar Survive Nightmare Day
Ciaran Power and Bjornar Vestol overcame their own personal nightmares to get
through the 5th stage of the Giro d'Italia. A stomach upset laid them both
low, and for a while they stared elimination from the race in the face.
"When you're racing at this level, even if you're feeling 90 or 95%, you're
going to struggle," said their manager Sean Yates, a veteran of 20 major
tours in his days as a pro. "When you feel like that, the aim has to be to
finish, and set your sights on another day. If you're not protecting a high
overall position, it doesn't really matter if you lose time, survival is all
that counts."
The tempo of the racing was slow for the first half of the race, but when the
acceleration came, it was brutal.
"I was flat out in the gutter in the crosswinds, when I punctured," said
David McKenzie. "I bumped along on a half-inflated tube for a couple of miles
praying for it to ease up, and luckily for me they slowed up a bit just as I
took a new wheel. Otherwise I'd probably still be out there!"
It was this acceleration that initially caused the problems for Ciaran and
Bjornar. "You know what it's like when you've been sick," said Ciaran. "You
use up all your energy, and you feel like there's nothing in the tank. I had
stomach cramps too by then, which didn't help."
The pair struggled together over the mountainous roads that comprised the
last 70kms of the stage, desperate to reach the pretty Adriatic coastal town
of Peschichi inside the time limit. They had to finish within 10% of the time
set by Danilo Di Luca, the young Italian who had just taken the day with a
blistering late attack further up the road. They scraped in, tired and
relieved, last men out on the road.
Spirits were remarkably high at the hotel later. "Yes, well we made it!"
grinned Bjornar as he rested in bed and refuelled his tired body with yet
more peanut butter.
"We both feel right as rain now," reported Ciaran. "Nearly everybody will
have one bad day in a three week race like this. You're putting your body
through so much, sometimes it complains a bit. But we've got through our bad
day, and I think we'll be fine now."
It was a good day for Matt Stephens, who tested his injured knee by climbing
in the front group up the day's major climb late in the stage. There was also
a great surprise when a bunch of local lads had rigged up a huge "Forza
Stephens Matthew!" banner at the side of the road.
"I couldn't believe my eyes! They must have seen my crash and read about me
in the Gazzetta. I wish I'd been able to stop and shake their hands, I've
never seen anything like it!"
Report by John Deering
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