Weeks of practice and hard work are done and over with and Roman kicks off the racing season with the Tour of Sardinia five stage race. The race ends on Saturday and immediately the next day he is racing in the Sarda Olbia-Pantogia one day classic. The Liquigas-Doimo rider talks about his ambitions for the upcoming season in the following interview.
Was the wait to get on your bicycle and compete in the first race of the season too long?
Well, I haven’t raced for a while and, after all, my last race was at the last year’s World Championship. I’m starting this season a bit later than the previous year and I really look forward to racing.
Are you able to estimate the current shape you are in?
Only the first races will tell. We put in a lot of hard work during the last training camp on Tenerife. Basically, we were simulating race situations but one needs to race for real to get into the appropriate race rhythm. I dare say that I am in a better shape than I was this time last year. Based on my test results, this spring could turn out to be my all time best.
What are your ambitions for your first race of the season?
As I said before, I am still lacking the race rhythm so I can’t expect that I will try for the best result in the Giro di Sardegna. I may shine in one of the stages but, most importantly, my task there is to pull for Nibali who has been in an excellent shape. The second stage features a top mountain finish, so we will see. Sabatini and Guarnieri are intended for the bunch sprints. I want to use the race to get in the right shape for the Paris-Nice and the Tour of Catalan where I would like to show my qualities.
Do you see the Paris-Nice as the first highlight of the season?
It is hard to say whether I will be set to ride for an excellent result. In the last three years the race did not work out for me the way I had imagined but this year I am physically stronger so, we will see. I would like to finish between the third and tenth place.
Are you planning to do the spring classics?
Definitely. I should show up at the Amstel, La Flèche Wallonne and Liège - Bastogne - Liège. I like the classics but the fact that I am not that fast makes it relatively hard for me to succeed. On the other hand, these races are pretty long and they are hardly ever finished in a bunch sprint. He who remains fresh during the final kilometers doesn’t even need to be fast…
Your main aspiration of the season is the Tour de France. Have you been thinking about it yet?
Not yet, really. It is still long away. In May, though, I would like to travel to Belgium and maybe I will even try out some of the mountain sections.
But you do have some ambitions for the Tour…
I cannot say that I will try for the podium at the Tour. I have to remain humble, which means that I would like to finish better than my last year’s ninth place. If I finish seventh, I may say I am happy. But, it is hard to predict beforehand, options are open.
Tue July 13, 2010, 18:50 New highs of visits brings the Roman's website to the first place in the Czech blogs counter statistics Toplist.cz. Charts can be viewed here Link;
19th July 8478x visits
Showroom of clothes from fanshop
Thu June 17, 2010, 20:02 From now you can try and buy clothes from fanshop physicaly at sample shop of the company MiRaSport in the city Tabor.
Links: Link. It is also possible to buy the team Liquigas sets (Link).
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Roman completa la preparazione - Translated by: A&J Sport as Image
