Roman Kreuziger – Unofficial
How are you feeling?I remain cool and calm. I´ve trained well and now it is time to show my qualities. I proved to be strong in the last races and I finished at the front at the Liege even though the race lasted six hours. I have nothing to worry about.The race begins with a team time trial. What are the Astana´s ambitions?I hope that we will pull off a good ride in the time trial. We won´t be a match to the teams like Garmin and HTC-Highroad because it is their strong point but they don’t have riders for the GC. We will have to watch out for Liquigas (Nibali) or Lampre (Scarponi), though, they pose a threat in the GC. We want to cross the finish line together and play it safe. I quite look forward to the time trial.Kiserlovski´s participation was confirmed at the very last moment. Do you think he is going to make it after his injury at the Paris-Nice?I´m not afraid that he will call it quits. We will see how his body reacts. The decision was in his hands. He was daily in touch with the sports manager Marinelli and they discussed the issue. I believe he is well-prepared because otherwise he wouldn’t ride. Who are you going to rely on in the mountains?Kiserlovského, Tiralonga and Masciarelliho should be my key lieutenants.This year´s edition of the Giro should be extremely difficult, some say that it is the toughest race in the last few years. Are you of the same opinion?I couldn’t agree more. It is much harder than previous editions but usually it is the riders who make the race so difficult. Looking at the Giro profile, it is really difficult.You checked out the key stages, last time you went on Gardeccia on Monday…It was a good idea to familiarize with the stages because the combination of three mountain stages with the finish on Grossglockner, Monte Zoncolan and Gardeccia is dreadful. The first stage is 160km long, the second is 210km long and the hardest with a lot of climbing is 230km long. I´ve never experienced such tough climbs. I think that the stage with the finish on Gardecicia will be decisive because it will be the third day in the mountains. This is why I think that if you lose some time in the seventh stage or in the ninth stage on Etna, then you got plenty of time to make it up in the next stages.Do you think that the final time trial will be crucial in the race?In my opinion, the race will have been decided by then. There are many stages where you can shake off your rivals so the last day won´t change anything.The Astana team expects you to make the podium. Can you handle the pressure?I have nothing to worry about and I´m relaxed before the start. I´ve been working towards the Giro since November and I hope the hard work will pay off. I would like to take a stage victory and ride for the best result possible. The team was used to getting results on the podium at the Grand Tours thanks to Alberto but I´ve never even finished in top five. It is a great challenge for me and I´m ready for it . I´m feeling close to perfect, I´ve trained well and I believe I can do well.Are you ready to take on the leadership role?It is huge responsibility and I appreciate it. We rode the Trentino in almost the same line-up and we are all in a good mood. It is a great crew and we believe each other. I know that the guys will do everything to help me. Together we can do great things.Could you name your main rivals?There are many of them, for example: Contador, Nibali, Scarponi, Meňšov, Rodriguez.Can you describe their qualities?Contador is the biggest favorite. Ever since he was cleared of the doping charges, he has been building towards the Giro. He wasn’t at his best at the Classics, which means that he might be in top shape at the Giro. He will have many strong riders at his hand. Scarponi has performed well in the mountains this year and maybe he is the best. He´s been in good shape for a long time and the question is whether he will keep his condition. Nibali is an excellent all-rounder and the last year´s Vuelta victory boosted his self-confidence and he is physically more mature. Menshov is an experienced rider who has already won the Giro. Rodriguez is known for his impressive climbing ability. The profile can play into his hands, plus there are not many time trials. The question is whether he will be able to keep up on the long climbs.The Astana´s line up:Roman KREUZIGER (Cze), Alexandr DJACENKO (Kaz), Maxim GUROV (Kaz), Josep JUFRE (Spa), Robert KISERLOVSKI (Cro), Francesco MASCIARELLI (Ita), Jevgenij PETROV (Rus), Gorazd STANGELJ (Slo), Paolo TIRALONGO (Ita).
