Bingen Fernandez Vuelta Journal - Milagros en Lourdes
140 riders that were given the same instructions - to get in the breakaway. Hmmm…..this may be a bit difficult, no? Well, yes I think so, and with this things began a bit difficult from kilometer 0.

Stage 5: Milagros en Lourdes/Miracles in Lordes
Before the start each of the teams have reunions in the team busses, where the team directors give ideas and suggestions on how to race the stage. I was sure that today’s instructions from the team directors would be exactly the same from team bus to team bus. …..Today there is a possibility that the breakaway will survive and it is important that you try to get in it.

This translates into over 140 riders that were given the same instructions - to get in the breakaway. Hmmm…..this may be a bit difficult, no? Well, yes I think so, and with this things began a bit difficult from kilometer 0.

The war began from the start and my legs were feeling the effort of yesterday. My legs were killing me and I was not looking forward to fighting in today’s war and I needed to leave with a calculator in my jersey pocket in attempts to calculate how I might do this stage with the least amount of effort and the maximum amount of recovery. The rhythm continued relentlessly and the breakaway had still not been created up until the first climb. Things were beginning to get more difficult with a long stretch of road ahead of us that did not have a meter of flat to it.

Everyone was attacking and no one was getting away and we were at the bottom of the climb. This was not a pretty sight to see as everyone was stressing, gasping for air and breathing out air creating an awful ambiance.

As usual everyone wanted to be in a good position at the front, which caused the rhythm that we were climbing at to be very difficult for a large group of the peloton. Riders became bothered, cursing, insulting no one in particular and suffering, really, really suffering. Riders were blowing up and it was soon enough gruppettos were forming like crazy. This was the first time in awhile that a stage had been so interesting.

Kroon from CSC was finally able to make the break, one that would last. The peloton descended the last climb and everyone was visible tired - or maybe they all just looked half dead - then there was a moment of braking, stress and we were all close to all hitting the deck. Luis Perez said loudly, "Calm down boys. Don’t waste all your stress now. We still have 17 more days." Haha. Yes, it was true. The stress of the first week was still with us.

Rabobank began working at the front to catch Kroon with success and we arrived at the sprint. Se fin!

As I was lying on the massage table, when my massage therapist said to me, ¨Bingen I can not make miracles, for that you will need to go to Lordes.¨

Did I really have such bad legs? I guess so.

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.

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.
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