Ryder Hesjedal finishes his 2012 crusade
Ryder Hesjedal ends his 2012 campaign after showing tremendous legs at the last World Tour race of the season, the Tour of Beijing 2012.
The Canadian rode aggressively during the final stage and finds the second podium position falling just 2 seconds behind to Stephen Cummings of Team BMC, who finished the race in a total time of 4 hours, 5 minutes and 8 seconds.
Edvald Boasson Hagen of Team Sky Procycling, Daniele Bennati of Team RadioShack-Nissan and Tim Wellens of Team Lotto Belisol occupied the third, fourth and the fifth positions in the respective order.
Hesjedal was 1 minute and 30 seconds behind the race leader Tony Martin and had nothing to lose as he went blazing out during the final stage of the race.
"Today I was 100 percent focused on the general classification, and I believed it was possible to win until we crossed the first line," Hesjedal said afterwards.
"Perhaps if the race had finished in a top of a mountain I would have won, but I have no regrets about the final sprint”.
“With the peloton chasing behind and the prospect of winning GC we had to go full gas and not hesitate".
The 2012 has been very significant for the 31-year-old and also for Canadian Cycling and will always be remembered as a season when a Canadian cyclist claimed the first ever Grand Tour victory for his side.
It was none other than Ryder who proved his talent during the first Grand Tour race of the season, finishing first overall at the Giro d’Italia 2012.
The Canadian has now decided to end his 2012 season and will spend time with his family in his native land before moving to Hawaii to begin his preparations for the season ahead.
"I'll spend the winter there," he said. "I hope I get the good recovery in there and then build again towards next season”.
Ryder had a little time-off from after he crashed out of the Tour de France and had enough legs to appear at the Beijing race.
“That way I can go into the off-season with some good racing in my legs,” he explained.
Hesjedal has shown intent to start the 2013 season right from the word go, by participating at the UCI Inaugural event, the Santos Tour Down Under.
The Giro d’Italia 2012 winner finished the Tour of Beijing with an 18thoverall spot after the final general classifications.
Tour of Beijing final general classifications, top 20 finishers as under,
1
Tony Martin (Ger) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
17:16:56
2
Francesco Gavazzi (Ita) Astana Pro Team
0:00:40
3
Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Sky Procycling
0:00:46
4
Daniel Martin (Irl) Garmin - Sharp
0:00:50
5
Eros Capecchi (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
0:00:52
6
Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale
0:00:56
7
Rafal Majka (Pol) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank
8
Tomasz Marczynski (Pol) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
9
Rui Alberto Faria Da Costa (Por) Movistar Team
0:01:00
10
Tim Wellens (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team
11
Ivan Velasco Murillo (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi
12
Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi
13
Tanel Kangert (Est) Astana Pro Team
14
Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
15
Tom Jelte Slagter (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
0:01:05
16
Mathias Frank (Swi) BMC Racing Team
0:01:06
17
Simon Clarke (Aus) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team
0:01:09
18
Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin - Sharp
19
Moreno Moser (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
20
Haimar Zubeldia Agirre (Spa) RadioShack-Nissan
0:01:36
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