Interviews from the 2009 Giro d'Italia

Professional cyclists and TrainingPeaks members Marco Pinotti, Matthew Goss, Jason McCartney and Daniel Lloyd took time out last week from racing the 2009 Giro d'Italia to share a small taste of what its like to race a 3 week stage race. The following clips are as reported by TrainingPeaks' Director of Marketing Jeremy Duerksen....

Marco Pinotti - Team Columbia-Highroad

Interview with Marco Pinotti

I had a couple chances to catch up with Team Columbia-Highroad's Marco Pinotti (pictured on left with myself). The first time was on the rest day where we talked about his form coming into the race and what his tactics would be a couple days later racing the stage 12 time trial as reported on Velonews TV (3:30 minutes into the show).

A few days later, I spoke with Pinotti again only moments after he finished 3rd in Faensa on stage 15. When I asked if he had considered taking the Time Trial easy a few days earlier to save his legs for days like this where he had a good chance of winning the stage he said, “If you go easy every day, then you’re not able to suffer anymore."

It is not just suffering that racers like Pinotti must do to win. It takes fitness which only comes from training. Pinotti was in a small breakaway on that stage for the last 60+ km of the 4 hour 20 minute race over which he averaged 320 watts. On the last two climbs he averaged 370 and 380 watts respectively. And that was the 15th day of racing! To put out that type of effort you must have good fitness. As Pinotti told me, "It is a question of having good legs more than good luck”.

In the follow car behind Jason McCartney on the time trial

Interview with McCartney after the time trial

Jason McCartney - Team Saxo Bank

I not only got a chance to talk to Team Saxo Bank's Jason McCartney immediately after he finished the stage 12 time trial, but I also rode in the follow car chasing him the entire 62 km along the beautiful Italian coast. Watch a few clips of my view through the windshield of the follow car here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnOjvr9ZgRg&feature=player_profilepage

Although as McCartney told me after the race, "if you're not in the GC, it's a question of whether you want to waste any energy, especially on such a long time trial", he did put in a strong effort finishing 38th out of 186 racers. Watch his take on the race here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FSUS9A9Hf8&feature=player_profilepage

Interview with Matthew Goss

Matthew Goss - Team Saxo Bank

I caught up with Team Saxo Bank's Matthew Goss as he rolled to the start of stage 11 in Torino. This year's Giro d'Italia was Goss's first grand tour and when I talked to him, he was already feeling the effects of multiple days of racing and thousands of feet of climbing. In reference to the previous days' 162 km stage 10 he told me, “Yesterday was certainly very tough… that was one of the hardest & longest days I’ve ever done on a bike.” Watch the interview here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ieg5paTyU1k

For the first few days of the race, including stage 6 when he got 5th place, Goss shared his SRM power files with TrainingPeaks. Download and read analysis of Goss's race files at: http://velonews.com/article/92156/saxo-banks-matthew-goss-shares-his-training-journal

Inteview with Daniel Lloyd

Daniel Lloyd - Cervelo Test Team

As Daniel Lloyd found his place towards the front of the peloton just before the start of stage 11 in Torino, he told me a little about his team's tactics around their leader Carlos Sastre. "We get [Sastre] to a good position on narrow climbs, but on something like Sestriere he’s not so worried because if its going to be a wide climb he knows he can climb around people and go to the front”

The climb Lloyd referred to as Sestriere was the 2nd major climb on the previous day's stage from Cuneo to Pinerolo. He estimated that his TSS (Training Stress Score) for the stage was 400 even though his job was essentially over halfway through the 7 hour day once he saw Sastre safely to the best position on the narrow climbs early in the day. Watch the interview here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rK2Sbk78LwM

TrainingPeaks congratulates these 4 riders and the many others in the professional peloton who use TrainingPeaks to achieve their goals. Regardless of what the professional cyclist's job is on a 3 week grand tour such as Italy's Giro d'Italia, the race is incredibly tough and no matter how many days you stay in the saddle, finishing every day is a huge accomplishment.