Ryder Hesjedal rediscovers his form in Giro d'Italia's final week
Canadian 2012 Giro d'Italia winner Ryder Hesjedal is one of the consistently strong riders in the 2015 race's mountainous final week
Canadian Ryder Hesjedal (Cannondale-Garmin) won the 2012 Giro d'Italia, but looked far from that same cyclist in the first week of this year's race. He sat in 29th overall, but now in the third week, he is riding at the top.
The easy-going Canadian that journalists simply call 'Easy Ryder' attacked on the Aprica stage, on the stage to Verbania and today left race leader Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo) behind on the summit finish to the Cervinia ski resort.
On the pink A4 sheets that the organiser hands out in the press room following each stage, Hesjedal sits seventh. After today's ride he jumped up two spots from ninth.
Standing outside the anti-doping control tent after placing second to Fabio Aru (Astana), he shook his head and shrugged when his disastrous first week was mentioned.
"Frustrating? Not really," he said while above Aru celebrated on the podium. "Anything can happen. Maybe I would've lost no time in the first week and been caught out in a crash in the second week. There's so many things."
Hesjedal's big loss was the day team-mate Davide Formolo won in La Spezia. In the hills above Cinque Terre, he was caught on the wrong side when the group split through a feed zone and team Astana pulled the throttle back for Aru. He chased, but without success and lost 5-03 minutes to the favourites.
>>> Alberto Contador’s bike among those checked for hidden motors at Giro d’Italia (video)
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
The tall, bearded Canadian bounced back and attacked his way through the north of Italy, from the Dolomites through the Alps. Followers may be surprised at the change in circumstances, but Hesjedal's not.
"I know I'm repeating it a lot," he said with his usual drawl, “but I won this race."
Hesjedal pushed Spaniard Joaquím Rodríguez (Katusha) to the end and took the pink jersey from him in the final day's time trial under the Duomo in Milan. That high cannot compare to second in Cervinia.
"I won the Giro, I mean, I can't get excited for fifth or seventh place overall," he continued.
"I still need to get over coming close that today. I just thought to go as hard as I could. I messed up, I shouldn't have tried to stay with Aru when he went, that completely exploded me. If I didn't go on the red to stay with him, I could have easily got on terms with him. It's frustrating."
In the final 10 kilometres of the 19.2-kilometre climb to the Cervinia ski resort at 2001 metres, Astana's Mikel Landa, Contador and Hesjedal began attacking. Hesjedal countered, Aru followed. Aru broke free.
Hesjedal remained between 10 and 25 seconds behind Aru, and finished at 28 seconds down. However, he gained enough time on his immediate rivals to jump from ninth to seventh overall.
The ride is impressive considering the block of racing that Hesjedal had. Ahead of the Giro, he raced the Tour de Romandie and Giro del Trentino. He explained that he will count around 40 race days in a short month-and-a-half period.
The build-up is beneficial because as 'Easy Ryder' will remind you, he runs on diesel and takes time to warm up.
"I historically perform best in the third week of a Grand Tour," he said, "that's where the biggest differences can be made."
The last differences can be made tomorrow, the race’s final mountain stage ahead of a predicted sprint stage into Milan on Sunday. Given what has happened so far this week, Hesjedal will attack for the stage win at the Sestriere ski resort.
Video: Best of the 2015 World Ports Classic
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Gregor Brown is an experienced cycling journalist, based in Florence, Italy. He has covered races all over the world for over a decade - following the Giro, Tour de France, and every major race since 2006. His love of cycling began with freestyle and BMX, before the 1998 Tour de France led him to a deep appreciation of the road racing season.
-
Forget distance covered, these are the key stats to note in your Strava Year in Sport
We asked a coach how to best analyse our end of year Strava data
By Tom Davidson Published
-
'She should show a bit more respect' - Lotte Kopecky responds to Demi Vollering comments
The pair seemingly had one last fractious year together at SD Worx-Protime in 2024
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Van Vleuten confirms her third Giro Donne victory
The Dutch rider finishes safely in the bunch while Chiara Consonni takes the final stage
By Owen Rogers Published
-
Stefan Bissegger powers to time trial victory and overall lead on stage three of UAE Tour
Swiss rouleur beats world time trial champion Filippo Ganna by seven seconds
By Adam Becket Published
-
5.30am alarms, hot and dirty metalworking, 'uncle' Jan Ullrich and lofty expectations: meet EF Education-EasyPost's Georg Steinhauser and his fascinating backstory
One of the peloton's busiest riders is also the WorldTour's ninth youngest
By Chris Marshall-Bell Published
-
'I love just applying myself fully to something that requires all of you': Lachlan Morton is set to ride 1,000km mountain bike race
The Munga is a 1,000km mountain bike race across the desert of South Africa
By Tim Bonville-Ginn Published
-
'We can’t wait to help add the next chapter in this team’s great history': EF Education First set to become co-title sponsor for Tibco-SVB women's team in 2022
The American company joins multiple other male team sponsors that are investing into the women's side of the sport
By Tim Bonville-Ginn Published
-
James Shaw’s WorldTour return confirmed as he signs with EF Education-Nippo
The 25-year-old Brit suffered the disappointment of being dropped from the WorldTour in 2018, but he’s back next year
By Alex Ballinger Published
-
Stefan Bissegger storms to impressive victory in Benelux Tour stage two time trial
The Swiss rider beat some of the world's best time triallists including Stefan Küng and Remco Evenepoel
By Tim Bonville-Ginn Published
-
Five talking points from stage 12 of the Vuelta a España 2021
Cort in form, Roglič touches tarmac again, and a new name emerges - the biggest moments from the day
By Stephen Puddicombe Published