On the eve of the Tour de Suisse, Fabian Cancellara met with the press and answered questions about his upcoming race program.
Cancellara: “I haven’t been working too much on my time trial bike, perhaps only three or four times this year. My training and goals have been elsewhere. My preparation for the spring classics this year was perfect and time trial training has not been very much a part of that. Tomorrow I do have ambitions of course, because the Tour de Suisse is a great race. It’s my home race and in the Prologue I am always close. But there is a different start this year and I will do what I can do. My general ambitions here are less than in other years because I am coming from a different preparation. But we have a super strong team here and of course I will do what I can for the team as I always do. We’ll see how things go. I hope to have a great start with good weather.”
Asked about his goals for the remainder of the season, Fabian revealed he will not participate in July’s big race: “My ambitions now are for later in the season, for the World championships. Because of this I won’t be part of the Tour de France this time. I will have another program. That’s why I can now follow other goals. You have to go to races 100% motivated and that’s why I’m looking forward to the Tour of Austria, Poland, the Vuelta and to be 100% fresh for worlds. I don’t do things when I’m not ready. I said to the team that we have enough other strong and motivated riders to challenge for the Tour. I wanted to try something different from the past few years. I need to be mentally fresh for these new goals. I know the team needs me and I need the team. The Tour always gave me a lot. My first big experience was in 2004 when I won the prologue and I’m still the record holder for most days in yellow without winning the Tour.”
The Tour de Suisse starts Saturday in Quinto with a 8.1km time trial.
