Ancenis, 2009-04-07

Getting an important week of racing off to a good start for BMC, Martin
Kohler inserted himself into the day’s main breakaway in the first stage of
the Circuit Cyclist Sarthe which takes place in France’s Loire region.
Kohler escaped with two companions before the stage’s first sprint
bonification opportunity.

As one of the team’s top sprinters, Kohler secured the 3 second time bonus
at two of the designated sprints in the stage, gaining six extra seconds in
his GC standing. The stage was won by Italian Enrico Rossi, who had been
one of Kohler’s two breakaway companions. Kohler’s ride earned him 3rd
place on the GC, 13 seconds back from the day’s victor.

High spirits in the sun

“It was a really good day for the team,” Directeur Sportif John Lelangue
explained. “Our plan was to go with the early break since in a race like
this the best way to get an early advantage is to use the on-road
bonification points.” Kohler and his companions escaped having made one
of the first attacks on the day. “We got away almost immediately, and two
of us were caught with only 7km to go,” Martin Kohler explained. “On a 700
meter hill, the guy who won the stage attacked us out of the break, but
having fought for the sprint points by then, I was a little too tired to
follow his acceleration.” Gaining six extra seconds in an event like this,
though could prove extremely useful by week’s end. “Martin winning these
extra bonus seconds will be very important, I think,” Lelangue reiterated.
“This race is often decided by seconds, and Martin is in as good a standing
as any to do well.”

Riding strongly as a team

The beautiful day in France made the racing a treat for the riders. “I’m
tired now, but the day was really good for me,” Kohler said. “The weather
is so nice and the parcours fits me well, so I am confident for the next
stages.” Following the high-spirits after the team’s success at Redlands in
the US, the group is riding with an extra note of confidence. “Once we had
Martin in the break, the other five guys on the team worked very well
together at the front of the pack,” Lelangue said. “They were always in the
front and always attentive.” Positioning in the peloton has proved
challenging for the group this season, but the team’s performance in
Sarthe’s stage 1 highlights how well they know how to work the pack. “They
were good the whole day, keeping together at the front and disrupting the
chase for as long as possible,” Lelangue concluded. “Since we are riding so
well as a team, I have very high hopes for the next stages.”

Kohler playing it cool

The team was doubly fortunate to have Kohler in the break for the day since
the stage race is well suited to his strengths. “Kohler can sprint well of
course, and he is also a strong time triallist in short distances,” Lelangue
pointed out. Kohler has proved on several occasions, such as at the Tour of
Romandie prologue in 2008, that he is very solid over short time trial
distances. With a 100 kilometer morning stage followed by a 6 kilometer
afternoon time trial, the team hopes to find Kohler in an equally high
position Wednesday evening. “In the morning stage tomorrow, I will do my
best to recover, though I might try for a couple sprint points again,”
Kohler said. “But I am very excited for the time trial since it looks to be
the sort of event I can do well in so long as I have recovered.” “Martin
should be well-rested for tomorrow even with his effort in the break today,”
Lelangue believes. “Since there are no big mountain climbs in this event,
it is always good to gainthe seconds wherever you can, and Martin is already in an excellent
position.”