Timo Roosen Update part 5: Train, fall, get up and win
He was a part of the break away in the Amstel Gold Race and he contributed to the Team's first win in the Tour de Yorkshire.
Timo Roosen keeps adding kilometers to his Team LottoNL-Jumbo palmares. He was a part of the break away in the Amstel Gold Race and he contributed to the Team's first win in the Tour de Yorkshire. Last Weekend, Timo participated in the Wold Ports Classic. Read all about that and many other things in this Timo Roosen Update: Train, fall, get up and win.
“I’ve spent a lot of hours training these past days, to get back into rhythm. After riding Tour de Yorkshire, I had to start up again. It was an amazing race! The parcours was great in itself, with all those hills, but it was also pretty cool to ride with Wiggins in a peloton. What impressed me most were the people alongside the road. I’ve never seen such a crowd during a race. During the Amstel Gold Race, as a Dutchman you get cheered on because they know your name, but in Yorkshire the crowds were even bigger. I read somewhere that there were over a million people and teammates told me that this is comparable to a Tour de France stage.
“The first stage wasn’t the best start I could have had, because I immediately crashed. And pretty hard as well, because I did not see it coming at all. We entered a steep descend with a sharp curve and it had just started raining. I was positioned well in the front together with Steven Kruijswijk, but if someone behind you hits the curb and takes you down in his fall, there’s not a lot you can do. He hit us from behind at full speed and I immediately hit the ground. The guy who caused the crash glided over the tarmac, so it was a pretty big crash. My back caused me quite some discomfort for a while, because the minute I got up after the crash another guy crashed into me from behind.
“Obviously the highlight was Moreno’s victory. It was amazing to be a part of that. Plus, I did my share of work, I rode a lot in front in the beginning of the race, and in the finale as well. We worked hard for it with the team. The champagne had been in the bus for some time, and we could finally open it. The atmosphere was amazing that evening, and we had a great night. The day afterwards we had to race, so we behaved.
“On the final day I got dropped with Wiggins, but it wasn’t a lot of fun. I tried to make most of it by keeping a high pace, but he just didn’t want to ride anymore. I took the lead and he just followed. I think he was already busy with training for the world hour record, which is understandable.
“I’ll have my début in a television commercial for a sponsor of the team soon. We shot somewhere in Utrecht, The Netherlands, and it was a lot of fun. I’m not sure yet if I’ll be clearly visible in the commercial, I won’t know until it’s broadcasted. During the shoot, I was on a Tacx somewhere in the background, so I’m not really starring in it. I suspect this won’t be my big breakthrough. However, if people can recognize me, I’ll be happy. I don’t really want to have my face on television all day, though with my profession, that’s exactly the case. And if I’ve been on television all day, I actually did my job well. Acting is not something I pursue though.
“In the run up to the World Ports Classic last weekend I tested if I have made some progression. I cycled on the Baraque Michel in the Ardennes for this. I did this at the beginning of the season as well, and I’ve compared the results. I mostly just looked at wattage, they’re always interesting. I expected to have progressed, but I exceeded my expectations. This gave me confidence for last Saturday and Sunday."
*Timo's sponsors received this diary last week in an exclusive newsletter.