Champs-Elysées keeps me going

“Only two stages seem to be realistic for me, the Tuesday´s and Wednesday´s. The other two stages are extremely tough and I think that the big favorites will hit the gas right from the start because that is the only way to shake off Voeckler. Then there is the time trial and the stage to Paris,” Roman said. He hasn’t studied up on the stages in which he would like to try his luck. “I haven’t gotten around to it yet, I will take a look in the evening.”He knows very well that many things have to work out so that he could stand a chance to clinch a victory. “You have to be lucky for a breakaway group because the riders can help you get closer to the finish line. There are many attempts and the key is to choose the right one. The group has to stay ahead as long as possible and then you have to have something left in the tank to attack. This is why, I´ve tried to save my energy in the past few days. Even the team told me to ease off at the end because the stage victory is far more important. I cannot say for sure that I will succeed but I will do my best,” the Astana´s rider revealed.He has accepted the fact that he is sitting further back in the overall position, which is an unusual thing for him. “At first it was difficult to come to grips with it but I have to face the reality. After Vinokurov´s withdrawal we lost our leader so we had to reconsider our plans. Besides, my bumped wrist is quite holding me back. I won´t deal with it any more since I haven’t noticed any improvements but on the other hand, it is not getting worse either. I´m not going to undergo any further examinations until the end of the Tour. I know that I´m capable of pushing hard and fight for the victory in one stage. I also want to finish the race at all costs. The atmosphere in Paris really keeps me going.”