Damage control: What Luka Pibernik might learn from an early post-up by Ryder Hesjedal
The Canadian raised his arms too early at a race in 2013, and recovered gracefully
In 2013, tailwinds drove riders southward on the first stage of the inaugural Tour of Alberta. They had started in Strathcona County and had to do three circuits in the finishing town of Camrose. The day before, Peter Sagan had won the prologue in Edmonton. Ryder Hesjedal, who had won the Giro d’Italia the year before, was sitting in 10th overall. As the riders approached the finish line in the Prairie town, Hesjedal was off the front. He then cruised under the gantry, his arms up. Then he looked around. There was still one lap left to go. The Garmin-Sharp rider brought his hands to his face as if to say, “Oops,” and was soon swallowed by the bunch. Sagan would go on to win his second stage.
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On Wednesday, on Stage 5 of the Giro d’Italia, Luka Pibernik of Bahrain–Merida posted-up in Messina. Even with the almost incessant clanging of the one-lap-to-go bell, the Slovenian rider got his lap count wrong and celebrated roughly 6 km too soon. Of course, Pibernik and Hesjedal—who was at the Giro recently with Castelli—aren’t the only cyclists who have misjudged finishes. The way the Canadian handled his mistake, however, is a lesson on how to recover gracefully from an embarrassing move.
The day after Hesjedal’s early post-up, before Stage 2 of the Tour of Alberta, he spoke with Jeff Bartlett of Canadian Cycling Magazine.
“Well Ryder, I guess we’ll start with the question every wants to know: how did you feel yesterday coming across the line?” asked Bartlett, sparking the laughter among other journalists.
“I guess I figured out the code for cracking Sagan,” Hesjedal said, “just get him early.”
“Naw, it’s an honest mistake out there in the heat of the moment,” he continued. “It’s pretty funny.”
“It sounds like your teammates had a bit of fun with you,” Bartlett said.
“Yeah, I’m glad I could offer—Give them something…” Hesjedal said, trailing off.
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Pibernik and his team should follow Hesjedal’s example. The Slovenian wasn’t the first to make that mistake and he won’t be the last. The team, with defending Giro champion Vincenzo Nibali, could use a laugh, too. During Tuesday’s stage, things got heated between Bahrain–Merida’s Javier Moreno and Team Sky’s Diego Rosa. Moreno shoved Rosa. Later, Nibali’s domestique was booted from the race. Time for a little levity?
