Australian Mat Hayman has urged his Orica-GreenEdge teammates to throw caution to the wind in the Tour of Flanders – which there may well be plenty of on Sunday – and be more present in the 264.2km race than they have been in the classics so far.
Hayman, 36 and in his 16th year as a professional, includes himself in that call, knowing that for him the race and next week's Paris-Roubaix are his two best chances in the season to race as team leader before he returns to his road captain's duties.
Hayman does not shy from admitting that of the two races, it is Paris-Roubaix that he loves the most, citing his two best results of eighth in 2010 and 10th in 2011 when he rode for the Sky team. But he pledges to throw all he can into the Tour Flanders.
ADVERTISEMENT
"I definitely won't be holding back," Hayman told Cyclingnews on the eve of Flanders. "But if I'm honest, Roubaix is the one I like a bit better. I guess it suits me a bit more and I have had better results there. For all those reasons, it is more likeable. "The change of the Flanders course [three years ago] is less ideal for me, having those laps and having Oude Kwaremont and Paterberg near the finish [in Oudenaarde.]
"On the old course I still had a chance. I was still able to come back over the top of the Muur van Geraardsbergen and the Bosberg. Changing the course … I understand the economic reasons, but it made Roubaix a little more appealing. It is the one I live for, but there is no holding back in Flanders. You can't in these races. You are totally committed to them, get caught up in them and I will go 100 per cent come Sunday."
The challenge for Hayman and Orica-GreenEdge
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
via Cyclingnews Latest News http://ift.tt/1xUdxgG
No comments:
Post a Comment