After previously writing about the illness that affected him during yesterday’s time trial, Marco Pinotti has made the decision in conjunction with the BMC Racing Team doctor not to continue in the Vuelta a España.
The Italian time trial champion has picked up a sinus infection and while he had been trying to get over it and continue in the race, it has been decided that it is better for him to leave the Vuelta early.
He is hoping to ride the time trial at the upcoming world road race championships and believes that stopping now rather than trying to push on ahead is the best option.
“It is a disappointment but as there is a chance of doing the worlds, I need to stop now and get healthy as soon as possible,” he told VeloNation. “I will then make an evaluation of my health and of my fitness level after I am able to ride again. I think the only chance I have to make the worlds team is like this.”
Pinotti wrote about his Vuelta in a diary for VeloNation, and said yesterday that his time trial was affected by the illness. “I was hoping to do well in it, but I’ve been sick for a couple of days now and that showed,” he wrote. “I tried to target a number in the first few kilometres of the climb, but I could only hold it for about ten minutes. I then felt that the legs were not performing as I hoped.
“In the end I finished 25th, which is not where I wanted to be. I was disappointed not to ride at my normal level. I was second in the time trial in the Tour of Austria and fourth in the Tour of Poland. Here, in the team time trial at the start of the Vuelta, the numbers were a little higher than in Poland.
“Before I got sick, I had been aiming for top ten today, at least. On a course like that I was longing for a good result.”
Pinotti withdrew from the Critérium du Dauphiné earlier this year due to fatigue. He bounced back from that and went on to win his sixth Italian national time trial title, and is hoping to make a similar recovery this time.
“Maybe in this case, I will be able to put a good performance in the world championship,” he said. “Anyway, I want to open and transparent as possible with the Italian team. I think the country should have the chance to bring the best riders of the moment. I will stop the Vuelta now and try to recover.”
Pinotti revealed that he was unlike to finish the Vuelta anyway, wanting to stop before the end and to work on his time trial training. He said that the only race that was on his programme between the Vuelta and the world TT championships is the team time trial at the latter. He’ll continue working towards that, although the final lineup won’t be confirmed until closer to the event.
“I will do a small training camp [with the BMC Racing riders] four of five days before. I am still on a long list of six, seven, eight riders for that, so it is not decided. I think Hushovd, Quinziato, Phinney, van Garderen, Oss and a few more names will also be there. So we will see.”
Also see:
Marco Pinotti’s Vuelta a España diary: Quiet time trial due to illness
Marco Pinotti's Vuelta a España diary: Riding the second Vuelta of my career in preparation for the worlds TT