Joaquim Rodriguez eyeing the Giro d’ Italia 2013
Winner of the UCI World Tour and the penultimate World Tour race of the season, Joaquim Rodriguez of Team Katusha is enjoying a terrific season with several performances in the current season.
However, he realises that the 2012 season will be remembered by his near misses at the Grand Tour as much as anything else.
“It was a great year, and I won a lot, but I lost a lot, too," Rodriguez noted during the Giro d’Italia 2013 route presentation.
The cyclist rode brilliantly throughout the season and his performance at the opening Grand Tour race of the season, the Giro d’Italia was no exception.
He claimed two stages at the race and was a definite contender for the leader’s jersey after the final general classifications.
However, Ryder Hesjedal of Team Garmin-Barracuda had different plans in his mind; he defeated Rodriguez with a minor lead of 16 seconds and claimed the pink jersey.
Hesjedal became the first Canadian rider in the history of the sport to register an overall win at any of the three World Tour races of the season.
Thomas De Gendt of Team Vacansoleil-DCM, Michele Scarponi and Ivan Basso claimed the third, fourth and the fifth positions in the respective order.
The 33-year-old rested his legs after the Giro with the Vuelta a Espana in his mind and rode more aggressive at the Spanish race winning three stages and staying in the top overall classifications list.
Joaquim might have taken the overall spot but return of the stage-race specialist Alberto Contador shattered his dreams of an overall victory at the Spanish Grand Tour.
Contador took the red jersey at the Spanish race defeating the second place holder Alejandro Valverde with a margin of 1 minute and 16 seconds.
Joaquim Rodriguez Oliver fell further 21 seconds short and had to settle for the third spot after the Vuelta a Espana final general classifications.
"I'll need to study it in a bit more detail, but it looks like a tough Giro, especially the last week".
"As ever, the final few days look extremely difficult and the stage to Tre Cime di Lavaredo is the one that I like the most".
"I don't like the that some of the stages are so long and I'm not sure if too many people will be happy with a long final stage like that, but all told, it's a balanced route".
Rodriguez has ridden both the Giro and the Vuelta a Espana in the past two seasons and might also consider riding the Tour de France for the season ahead.
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