Freire breaks free

Spanish cyclists are known to abhor racing outside of Spain early in the season. Most of them don’t enjoy the classics, one day races that rival the popularity of the Tour de France in the cycling-mad fans of Italy and Belgium. Spanish cyclists are also known as great climbers and the history of cycling is littered with these mountain goats like Federico Bahamontes, (1959 TdF), Luis Ocana (TdF 1973), Pedro Delgado (TdF 1987) or Roberto Heras (3-time Vuelta a Espana champion). I can’t put Miguel Indurain (5-times TdF winner) in the same category since he wasn’t a great climber, but he could climb with the best. All of his TdF wins were due to his exceptional time-trialling ability, not his climbing prowess.

Oscar Freire Gomez, however, isn’t the typical Spanish cyclist. In the 13 seasons he raced as a professional, he only rode two of them with a Spanish team and that was during his first two years. He is short and stocky at 5’7” and can’t climb. But he loves racing in the classics and one day races and has one of the most consistent yet underrated sprint in the professional peloton today. Because of persistent back problems, Freire hasn’t enjoyed a couple of seasons without injury. But when he is on, he is a winner. He won the World Championships in 1999, 2001 and 2004, the first multi winner since Gianni Bugno won in 1992 and 1993. In spite of his various injuries, he can come back to racing with little preparation. In fact, some people think that he is lazy.

Just like the great Aussie sprinter Robbie McEwen, he doesn’t need a lot of teammates to lead him out for the sprint unlike Erik Zabel or Mario Cipollini, Mark Cavendish or Tom Boonen.

And that’s exactly what happened Saturday, the 101st running of La Classicisma, Milan-San Remo, the first rendezvous of cyclist racing for the real thing. Entering the “ultimo chilometro”, Freire was sitting in the perfect spot, third behind Italian sprinter Danielle Benatti. He had no teammates around him. Behind him was another Italian stallion and former MSR winner, Alessandro Petacchi and the national champion of Belgium, Boonen. When the last domestique of Benati peeled off in the last 200-meter (of the 298km race), Freire caught everybody literally flat footed. Normally, it’s a matter of inches as they cross the line but Freire was so fast that Boonen, who could only look at Freire frustratingly, was off by two bicycle lengths!!!

This was Freire’s 3rd MSR as he won back in 2007 and 2004 and it just goes to show his consistency. The 2004 edition was probably the best when he beat an overconfident Zabel who raised his hands a bit too early for a crowd salute only to have Freire stole it from him. My only hope is that Freire will have an injury free season and hopefully, for the rest of his career.

RACE RESULTS (3.20.2010)

MANDAUE CRITERIUM CAT C

1- TATA CODINA, 2- NONOY ABASOLA, 3- TATA TY, 4- HEIDE ESMALIN, 5- JAIME NOYNAY

Finally, I’ve finished listening to the audio version of “OPEN”, the autobiography of Andre Agassi, a 9th grade dropout. While I still think that it’s a compelling read, still find it hard to believe that Agassi hated tennis after all the years playing professionally. Guess he hated his Dad more than tennis……When Andy Roddick hired Jimmy Connors, a person he detested, as his coach, Agassi said, “Poor Andy!”……He also didn’t like Boris Becker, who Agassi said tried to present himself as an intellectual (in fact, Brad Gilbert, Agassi’s coach, called him B.B. Socrates), when he was just a “farm boy”……Congratulations to Chris and Honey Teopez for the baby boy!!! -  THE FREEMAN