Stage five of the Amgen Tour of California saw Rabobank's Oscar Freire out on the attack on a day that looked on paper like it would end in a sprint finish. While the triple world champion has proven to be one of cycling's most prolific sprinters throughout his career, he has also demonstrated that he has the class to win races from a break. Yesterday's stage was special for the Spaniard, as well as the team, as it was sponsored by Rabobank America, a fact that fueled his decision to try his chances in the day's escape.
"I do this often - it seemed like a stage where there could be a successful escape. I wanted to try it," Freire told Rabosport after the stage, explaining that the move was discussed beforehand. "Rabobank America sponsored the stage and there were a lot of guests from our sponsor [present]. It was an important stage for the bank," he explained, which also made it a very important day for the team.
At one point in the race the escape had eleven riders and more than 3 minutes over the peloton, but in the run-up to the finish Freire found himself at the front with only Leopard Trek's Stefan Denifl to help share the work.
"That guy did very well. He rode strong," Freire said. "I believed there was really a chance [to win]. We worked well together. He didn't whine and took very good turns [at the front]."
Then disaster struck. Denifl flatted with 15 kilometers left to race leaving Freire alone to defend his 2 minute advantage. He considered waiting for his companion, but decided his best chance for victory under the circumstances was to forge on alone.
"I definitely thought about waiting [for Denifl]," he admitted. "That would then cost you maybe 20 or 25 seconds, but Erik Breukink [ed - team director] told me immediately from the car that I had to continue. He said that the peloton was going at a really fast pace and that waiting wasn't really an option.
"In retrospect, I have to say that he was right. If the finale had been different it might have been a good choice, but with the speed we were going it was really pointless. It's a pity about the flat tire, because I still think we would have had a reasonable chance [to make it]," he continued.
In the end, the Spaniard was very disappointed to get caught just 2.5 kilometers short of the finish line.
"For Sure," he said of being disappointed. "Even if you have won a lot in your career, it's never fun to lose [your chance for victory] in the last three kilometers."
Freire said getting caught didn't sit well with him, so he'll now look forward to Sunday's stage, where he thinks he will have his last chance to win a stage in the race.
"I am slowly getting better in this Tour, but there is actually only one more chance for me; Sunday," he said. "It's unfortunate how the race has played out [for me] so far. The first stage was a good one for me, but that was canceled. In the second stage the communication before the sprint was not good, and in the third [stage] I lost momentum by the fall of Matthews and Henderson [and it] was also a very good [opportunity lost]."