September 12/07 10:21 am - Tour of Missouri Results, Interview, Photos

Posted by Editor on 09/12/07
 

Tour of Missouri

Photos from stage 1 by Casey Gibson

Amy Smolens is providing our on-site interviews:

Dominique Rollin - Kodak Gallery presented by Sierra Nevada

Prerace:
AS: Talk about how it went out there yesterday.
DR: I got caught behind a bad wheel and Healthnet had their lineup organized and one of their riders attacked so they ended up looking at each other wondering what they were doing, so I got caught behind those guys... I was up there yesterday, I hope I'll be up there today in better position to get a better placing.
AS: And today looks like another nice profile for you?
DR: (Laughs) I think every day is, except for the Time Trial. I think every day's gonna be a good day for me so it's just a matter of positioning and being up there in a good spot. Yesterday I got some bad luck where I was, I thought I had a great wheel and it just turned out not to be, we'll see today. We'll see today, we'll try to get something going, its a longer stage so it's gonna be a bit different.

Rollin certainly did get something going in today's Stage 2 from Clinton to Springfield. He was in a 12-man break that escaped at mile 29 of the 125 mile course. The two intermediate sprints carried time bonuses of 3-2-1 seconds, and the finish would have 10-6-4 second bonuses. By taking second place in the day's first intermediate sprint and winning the second intermediate sprint Rollin grabbed a total of 5 bonus seconds... George Hincapie had taken 3 bonus seconds, so for 30 miles the Quebecer was the virtual Yellow Jersey on the road, as the group's lead got up as high as 17:00 over a relaxed peloton. After a finale that consisted of two 2-mile circuits, Rollin crossed the line third behind George Hincapie and Frank Pipp. The four bonus seconds he garnered for his podium position put him in 2nd place on GC, 4 seconds behind Hincapie going into tomorrow's 18 mile Time Trial. Although the TT profile does seem decidedly uphill and despite what he'd said to me about that course earlier in the day, Rollin seemed pretty upbeat about his chances when I spoke to him after his podium showing.

AS: When did you think you had a chance for the break to stick?
DR: When I saw that all the good teams were represented, George Hincapie was up there, we knew it was going to stick... Only four teams missed the break so it came in the way that we knew that those four teams even together couldn't bring it back from there. I just tried to preserve energy and go for intermediate sprints and wait for the finish.
AS: What was your strategy regarding intermediate sprint bonus seconds?
DR: I knew I had a good sprint compared to most of the guys in the break so I tried to go for those intemediate sprints just to get some bonus and test out my legs. I think it gave me a disadvantage because all the guys were looking at me after winning one of the two sprints but it turned out in a good way, I ended up 3rd in the stage, sitting now 2nd on CG, so it's looking good for tomorrow.
AS: And you were the Yellow Jersey on the road, what was going through your head at that point?
DR: Mostly stay focused on the final sprint, try to be well placed and bring the win home. Unfortunately it's a 3rd place but it's still a great result.
AS: How did the final lap go?
DR: Slipstream had two strong guys (Will Frischkorn and Mike Friedman) up there and they started attacking with one lap to go. I countered once and got away with George but I think we were two marked men up the road so everyone brought us back, then it was just chasing and getting in position for the final sprint.
AS: What are your thoughts and expectations going into tomorrow's time trial?
DR: I know I have a good time trial. I don't know all the skills of everyone, if everyone can put out a good time tomorrow. It's a hilly time trial and after 200 k's today it's gonna be hard on the legs to go for 25k full speed tomorrow. I think I can get something good going and we'll see if I can stay close or even get a better time than George.

We'll see how Rollin can do in the Stage 3 Time Trial here in Branson, Missouri, the entertainment capital of the Ozarks.


Stage 2: Clinton to Springfield, 202 km

1. George Hincapie (USA) Discovery Channel Professional Cycling, 4:35:26
2. Frank Pipp (USA) Health Net Presented By Maxxis
3. Dominique Rollin (Can) KodakGallery Pro Cycling p/b Sierra Nevada Brewing
4. Michael Friedman (USA) Team Slipstream Powered By Chipotle
5. Stefan Parinussa (Ger) Team Sparkasse
6. Valeriy Kobzarenko (Ukr) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team
7. David Canada (Esp) Prodir-Saunier Duval
8. Andrew Guptill (USA) Colavita/Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light
9. Andrew Randell (Can) Symmetrics Cycling Team, all s.t.
10. William Frischkorn (USA) Team Slipstream Powered By Chipotle, 0:39

21. Charles Dionne (Can) Colavita/Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light, 14:17
43. Andrew Pinfold (Can) Symmetrics Cycling Team
47. Zach Bell (Can) Symmetrics Cycling Team
48. Mark Walters (Can) KodakGallery Pro Cycling p/b Sierra Nevada Brewing
82. Jacob Erker (Can) Symmetrics Cycling Team
83. Eric Wohlberg (Can) Symmetrics Cycling Team
90. Cameron Evans (Can) Symmetrics Cycling Team
97. Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Health Net Presented By Maxxis
106. Will Routley (Can) Symmetrics Cycling Team
108. Svein Tuft (Can) Symmetrics Cycling Team, all s.t.

GC

1. George Hincapie (USA) Discovery Channel Professional Cycling, 7:40:50
2. Dominique Rollin (Can) KodakGallery Pro Cycling p/b Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., at 0:04
3. Frank Pipp (USA) Health Net Presented By Maxxis, 0:07
4. Valeriy Kobzarenko (Ukr) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team, 0:10
5. Stefan Parinussa (Ger) Team Sparkasse, 0:11
6. Andrew Guptill (USA) Colavita/Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light, 0:13
7. Michael Friedman (USA) Team Slipstream Powered By Chipotle
8. David Canada (Esp) Prodir-Saunier Duval
9. Andrew Randell (Can) Symmetrics Cycling Team, all s.t.
10. Matthew Rice (Aus) Jelly Belly Cycling Team, 0:52

14. Zach Bell (Can) Symmetrics Cycling Team, 14:24
18. Charles Dionne (Can) Colavita/Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light, 14:28
35. Andrew Pinfold (Can) Symmetrics Cycling Team, 14:30
43. Mark Walters (Can) KodakGallery Pro Cycling p/b Sierra Nevada Brewing
76. Eric Wohlberg (Can) Symmetrics Cycling Team
77. Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Health Net Presented By Maxxis
80. Will Routley (Can) Symmetrics Cycling Team
86. Cameron Evans (Can) Symmetrics Cycling Team
90. Svein Tuft (Can) Symmetrics Cycling Team, all s.t.
103. Jacob Erker (Can) Symmetrics Cycling Team, 17:45