Roman starts off the season: I like Giro better than Tour

Have you managed to fulfill your preparation plan?The preparation went off as smoothly as I could have imagined. I´ve put in a really good job on the bike in all the camps and I know that I don’t have to worry about my first race because I gave it my best. I can´t wait to race again because the off-season break was really long.What are you expecting from the first races?Almería is a race that usually ends in a bunch sprint so it is going to be an ideal tune-up race for me. My goal is to get into the racing rhythm. I reckon that I will feel better with every race under my belt and I would like to get some good result at the Tirreno.Does that mean that your preparation is aimed at the Giro?Giro is my main objective of this season but I will do my best in other races, too. One thing is clear, Giro is the most important race of the season for me. This could be my breakthrough season  and the best case scenario for me would be to make the podium, for which I will do all I can. After all, if it hadn’t been for the stage with the finish atop Zoncolan last year I would have been able to fight for the podium.Which races are you looking forward to most?I arranged my race schedule to suit me best, I picked the races myself. So, I really like the races that I will take part in. I prefer Giro to Tour, I simply like the Italian mentality better and I feel more at home in Italy. The ambience of Giro is different and I´ve come to like it. As for the other races, every year I ride the Tour of Romandy and I have only good memories of this race. It is a good combination together with the Liege-Bastogne-Liege. I am only disappointed not to compete in another classic race: the Amstel, but this race takes place right before the Giro and I don’t want to risk getting involved in some crash. There is a high likelihood of that happening there.What kind of strategy is the Astana team going to use in this season?There are three leaders on our team: Vino, Brajkovic and me. But I think that we have a competitive team and, on top of that, other strong riders have joined our squad, like Gavazzi or Bozic.Is this also the season that should clinch your contract for 2013?That is what I have to bear in mind as well. For this reason, I will try to get the best results possible. I would like to be clear on this matter shortly after the Giro.