Proving the old staying that you shouldn’t change anything big on the day of a race, Katusha’s stage race specialist Joaquim Rodriguez is currently sidelined as a result of what he accepts was an impulsive decision.
The day before he won the Offida stage of Tirreno-Adriatico, the Catalan rider changed to a new pair of shoes, and he now suspects that this has caused the Achilles tendonitis issue he is currently suffering from.
"I had very old shoes and decided to change them for new ones,” he stated from Tenerife in the Canary Islands, where he is currently recovering. “It was a mistake. I know very well that you should never do in a race, because sometimes a slight change in the position of the cleat can cause these problems, but I fell into the temptation and there is no turning back now.”
Rodriguez has been forced to take three days off the bike in order to try to get over the issue. He is being helped by the masseur Jaime Hernandez, who is trying to speed the process.
"I am here with Dani [team-mate Dani Moreno – ed.] and my massage therapist who is treating me with Indiba physiotherapy treatment [incorporating heat – ed.], which is most suitable for these cases. I hope to recover soon and that does not get worse."
Rodriguez, the 2010 UCI WorldTour champion, has had a solid start to the season. He was seventh in the Tour of Oman, won that penultimate stage of Tirreno-Adriatico and finished sixth overall. He’s got big goals for the year ahead, not least targetting a victory in one of the Ardennes Classics, and hopes to get back on track as soon as possible.
"I noticed the first discomfort in the last stage of the Tirreno, the day after my victory,” he said. “Fortunately I stopped in time and do not think the injury is very serious. I hope to recover and be in perfect condition for my next appointment, the GP Miguel Indurain and the Vuelta al Pais Vasco."