Ryder Hesjedal is ‘more concerned about the big mountains’ at the Giro d’Italia 2013
After having a terrific 2012 season, Ryder Hesjedal of Team Garmin-Sharp is all set to continue his tremendous form in 2013.
The cyclist posted the biggest victory of his career when he climbed the top podium spot at the first Grand Tour race of the season, the Giro d’Italia 2012.
He was also part of the strong Team Garmin- Sharp’s line-up that claimed the team’s time trial, opening stage of the race.
Ryder finished second during stage 19 and third at the 17th stage of the Giro this year and marked a perfect Grand Tour debut victory for his side.
The 31-year-became the first Canadian in the history of the sport to bag an overall victory at any one of the three Grand Tour races of the season.
He took a total time of 91 hours, 39 minutes and 2 second to achieve the top podium position after the final general classifications and successfully overcame the in-form Joaquim Rodriguez Oliver of Team Katusha.
Rodriguez finished 16 seconds behind at the second position with Thomas De Gendt of Team Vacansoleil-DCM , Michele Scarponi of Team Lampre-ISD and Ivan Basso of Team Liquigas-Cannondale securing the third, fourth and the fifth positions in the respective
order.
Ryder’s other praiseworthy performances in the current season include a sixth place finish at the Giro di Lombardia and a ninth overall position at the Liege-Bastogne-Liege 2012.
While commenting on the 2013 edition of the Italian Grand Tour, Hesjedal noted that registering an overall victory at a Grand Tour is never easy but he will give his best to defend his title in 2013.
“It’s difficult right from the beginning,” he said.
“There’s the team time trial and then the first long time trial and that’s before you get to the first rest day”.
“After that, you have the big mountains in the last half of the race, so you need to be complete for the whole time”.
“Anytime you have a time trial it can change things,” Hesjedal said.
“Whether big differences can be made or not at that distance depends on where guys are with their condition”.
“I’d still be more concerned about the big mountains at this Giro”.
Absence of Alberto Contador definitely made Hesjedal’s job lot easier but the Spaniard has no hindrances in his way for the coming season and will make life lot complicated for the Canadian during the Giro d’Italia 2013.
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