Ambitions for Giro: I´m aiming high

What have you managed to do in Denmark so far?We flew in on Wednesday. Yesterday I attended a press conference, then I went out for a 3 hour ride and finally, we underwent standard tests. Today we are going to check out the course of the time trial and the team presentation is scheduled for the afternoon. So far everything has been going fine and everybody lives and breathes Giro here. Almost the entire town is decorated in pink.How are you feeling?I´m feeling much better than I did last year. In addition, my good results in the preceding races really have boosted my morale. I think that even mentally I am stronger.Astana´s sports manager Martinelli said that you can even win the Giro…That is what he said but I won´t be that specific. It is always nice to hear such things but you also have to have some luck apart from being on form. I´m aiming high but I don’t want to make any predictions.Before your depart to Denmark you went to test ride the stage with the finish in Cervinia. Do you think it will be helpful?It was definitely good to ride the climbs because I didn’t know them too well. On the face of it they seem easy but they are really hard. I didn’t have enough time to see the others because of the snowfall so it was pointless to ride all the way up there. I know them anyway.Who do you consider the biggest contenders for victory?Basso, Scarponi, Rodriguez and Fränk Schleck shouldn’t be underestimated, either. I think that those four riders including me may think about the overall victory.Could you give a brief overlook of the Astana´s roster for Giro?I picked out most of the riders myself to have the best lieutenants around me. Kessiakoff dropped from the roster due to his allergy problems. He could have helped me in the mountains but it would have been hard for him to get into shape after such a long break. Tiralongo, Seeldraeyers and Djachenko, who came second at the Tour of Turkey, should be at hand for me in the mountains. Kangert, Gasparotto, Petrov and the rest of our riders are intended for the flat stretches and hilly terrain. We don’t have any pure sprinter.