F1 » New York win puts zest back into Zanardi

08 November 2011
New York win puts zest back into Zanardi
[There is] no way, without excessive efforts, I would have not managed to get to Central Park alone and therefore I decided to stay put and to control the race waiting for the final sprint.

"This is how it went, if I had given everything I would have probably paid the toll of the recent inconstant work when I could not train as I wanted due to the thousand commitments. However, the sprint is one of the things I do better and reaching the finish line relatively fresh I could have probably played my best cards. Drama hit while getting to Central Park from Columbus Circle at less than 700 meters to the finish line... on the access ramp a bump made my chain get off the gear! Fortunately, Dane Pilon, who was following me, realised this just a little bit too late [and], when he sprinted to take advantage of this, I already had managed to put the chain back at its right place and, sprinting in turn, I got back on to him.

"It was still too early for the final sprint and he eased down to check my intentions. From a certain view-point, this little contingency turned out to be a resource: thanks to this random event we found each other side by side and he could not place himself in my slipstream that was already occupied.... We kept on going studying each other until the sign of the 26th mile and, despite being a bit early, he sprinted. I kept close to him, then, at 200 yards from the line, I pushed hard, overtaking him strongly.

"When I knew I was at the finish line, we passed over some plastic cable bearers that were quite high that were probably serving the chrono system and behind myself I heard a odd noise! Pilon must have touched one of these protections with the handles and left the control on his handbike hitting the barriers. Obviously, I am sorry for this and now that I am writing I am unaware of his conditions; hopefully he did just ended up with a few bruises and a race that did not finish in the way he hoped for.

"Things went well for me instead and I am really happy for the result, for triumphing in a country that gave me a lot and that did not forget what I have done in the past at a sporting level, judging from how many times my name was shouted from people along the course: this really warms my heart."

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Tagged as: Alex Zanardi , New York , marathon , handbike
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