Despite crashing out of the Giro d'Italia and deciding to skip the Tour de France when he was considered a favourite for the stage 1 time trial, Rohan Dennis considers 2017 his best season to date.
Starting his year with the defence of his Australian time trial crown, Dennis was on hand to help BMC teammate Richie Porte to Tour Down Under a few weeks later on home soil in Adelaide. His European campaign started in a similar vein as Dennis claimed the La Provence title in year one of his four year 'general classification project'.
Tirreno-Adriatico was the next site of success as BMC won the TTT, Dennis held his own up Terminillo and then triumphed in the final day time trial to finish second overall to Nairo Quintana. A second TTT victory of the season at Volta a Catalunya continued the winning streak before illness ended his race early. Dennis' season ambition of riding GC at the Giro d'Italia remained on track as he bounced back at the Tour of the Alps with a stage win. Assessing his season thus far, even the heavy concussion that forced him out of the Giro hasn't diminished his exploits as Dennis explains.
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"This year has been better than ever. If we take away the time trials, it is more than I have ever done before in road races. I got two second places in Provence and the overall there. I was first and third in the Tour of the Alps in hilly stages and then that final stage, I didn't actually win but I was helping Brent [Bookwalter] and there was at one stage a group of six or seven left and it was all GC guys that were aiming for the Giro," Dennis told Cyclingnews in a recent interview.
"In my eyes, this year has been better than ever. I have tried to widen my range away just from time trials to try to perform in road races and mountains as well. Even if I am not winning, I have to be there. I think I have succeeded so far in that stepping stone to becoming more of a GC rider. It is all looking good bar a few moments of bad luck, but everyone has them. You have to move on from it."
A multiple world champion on the track before turning professional with Garmin-Sharp, Dennis showed his GC potential in his first year as he won the 2013 Tour of Alberta. In 2015, he added the Tour Down Under and US Pro Challenge while 2016 saw the 27-year-old finish second at the Tour of California and Tour of Britain, and crash out of the Eneco Tour on the final day when leading the race.
- Dennis back on track with Tour de Suisse TT win
- Late crash deals serious blow to Dennis' Giro d'Italia GC hopes
- Dennis fights back after suffering in the cold at the Tour of the Alps
- A Four Year Plan: Rohan Dennis and his Grand Tour designs - Q & A
- Rohan Dennis' BMC Timemachine01 – Gallery
- Rohan Dennis: This is a great step toward becoming a Grand Tour rider
Maintaining time trial power
Finishing off 2017
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
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