Bingen Fernandez Vuelta Journal - Theory of Relativity
Bingen's Vuelta a España Journal stage 3. "For me it was a relatively easy day, and I tell you this because the sprinters and those who were tested by the Law of Gravity were certainly not thinking the same. I am however in agreement with Triki Beltran..."

Theory of Relativity

Stage 3 03/09 Viveiro - Luarca - 155 km
The beginning of today’s stage had one climb of 2km followed by a great descent. We were prepared mentally for a very fast race start until the team director gave us the good news. The stage start had been neutralized up until the top of the climb.

I was glad because at least that taste of blood in my throat that would always come in the first fires of the stage starts. Rubiera was riding next to me asking why he had not been given the same news from his team, and then further questioning why I was so happy with the new. "Bingen that does not make me happy at all because I was planning to attack on the climb," said a Saunier rider over to my side laughing. The truth was that he was not the only one planning to attack on the climb and it would have been a good plan.

A few seconds later the rider closed in on the unhappy Triki, "Pero Triki si nos van ha hacer sufrir menos," he said. Triki turned to me and said, "That is relative. I prefer to climb fast and make an attack climbing because if the attack is not made on the climb I’ll get played with on the decent."

Meanwhile the race director did not give us the go ahead to begin the race and we were getting ready to descend when news came through the radio that they were starting the race at the bottom of the descent because there was some construction. After only a few short kilometers, and a handful of attacks there formed a group of three riders. The leader’s team started work at the front to ward off any more attacks. The escape group of the day had been formed and we settled into a comfortable rhythm where we could still talk with our cohorts.

Normally we line-up parallel two by two but I seem to be all alone. I glanced around to see who I might be able to pair up with and noticed that Petacchi was also alone so I let up a bit and floated back to him to make small talk. "Ciao, hoy es ritmo mas despacio que ayer, perfecto, no?" He gave me a half-glance, reached down for a drink of water nodded, and accelerated a bit to be alone again. Maybe I wasn’t classy enough for him. Sastre and Landaluze rode up to me just then. Luckily I had some good people who I could chat and pass the time with.

Nothing special happened in the race. Lampre worked at the front and the kilometers without much excitement when the other law took affect. The Law of Gravity. My teammate Minard hit a pothole with his front tire, and his hands slipped from his handlebars. Four riders went down in a fairly bad crash. One hit hard and it was thought that he broke his collarbone, but luckily enough he escaped with a lot of road rash instead.

In the final kilometers the Theory of Relativity returned. What would be an easy stage and stress free finish for many would be a relatively difficult and complicated finish for the sprinters and those that played in the final victory. There was a slight air in the peloton that it would be a complicated finish and people weaved in and out. The peloton was alive with motion - more than normal - to the right, to the left, breaking….a crash.

Almost all the peloton was blocked by the crash and we were all nervous at the possibility of losing time until one rider screamed, "It is ok, we passed the 3km mark". We would get the same time so little by little the rest of us made our way to the finish line.

For me it was a relatively easy day, and I tell you this because the sprinters and those who were tested by the Law of Gravity were certainly not thinking the same. I am however in agreement with Triki Beltran in his Theory of Relativity; everything is relatively easy or difficult depending on who the bloke is.

Bingen Bustinza Fernandez  is a member of the Cofidis Team currently racing in the Vuelta with team mates: Stéphane Auge, Sylvain Chavanel Sylvain, Leonardo Duque, Maryan Hary ,Gorffrey Lequatre, Sébastien  Minard, Maxime Monfort and Damien Monier.

Currently the team has two riders in the top 15 Maxime Monfort in 12th and Sylvain Chavanel in 14th.  Leonardo Duque and Bingen are currently in 61rst and 62nd after ten stages.  Leonardo has had 3 top ten finishes  in the first week and a podium appearance after stage 2 where he was third after Freire and Bettini.  Chavanel and Monfort for their effort counted three top ten performances in the first week a good start for the Cofidis team in the Vuelta.

Bingen  Fernandez             Photo c. Bart Hazen

Co-owner & Guide of Gruppetto Tours
Bingen is co-owner and president of Gruppetto Tours. Bingen has been a professional cyclist since 1996. Bingen guides and helps coordinate every trip ensuring that each guest has the pro-like experience. He is riding his 12th season for the French team Cofidis.

Gruppetto Tours can boast the same care in their tours and training camps that professional riders experience complete with current and former professional riders as the guides; Jo Planckaert, Igor Flores, and current pro rider Nikane Xuen Mallea - Co-owner, Coordinator & Guide. The soigneur and mechanic have equal professional team backgrounds and palmares.
More information: Gruppetto Tours

We will be catching up with Bingen's Journals in the next few days as they were overlooked in the first week.