New Astana signing will target Italian Tour while Vinokourov aims for Tour de France
Twelfth, ninth and ninth overall in the first three Tours de France he has competed in, Czech rider Roman Kreuziger will pass over on riding the race in 2011 in order to target his first Grand Tour victory. The 24 year old will be his new team Astana’s dedicated leader in the Giro, and is determined to take the fight to former team-mate Vincenzo Nibali and the other contenders.
“In other years it [his target] was the Tour de France because it is the biggest race in the world, but for next year, the goals have changed and my first objective will be the Giro d'Italia,” he said. “From now until the Giro, I only have this race in mind.
“The goals are very high because the team is keen on the Giro and has asked me to win it. I'll give my best to win, even if it will be very difficult, but I am confident I can handle it very well.”
Kreuziger is moving to Astana as part of the bid to replace Alberto Contador. He doesn’t have the same record as the Spaniard, of course, but he is seen as a potential Tour winner of the future. However 2011 will be for Vinokourov; the veteran rider will soon start what is probably his final season, and he has said that he wants to make one last push for the Tour title.
Vinokourov concedes that it will be very difficult to win, but is determined to give it a shot. Getting Kreuziger to aim for the Giro victory is a nice insurance policy, as it means the team isn’t banking everything on one Grand Tour.
The younger rider said that wide focus is something the team will aim to take advantage of next year. “I think we can be competitive in every race of the season from the beginning to the Tour of Lombardy,” he explained. The team will begin its push for wins in next month’s Santos Tour Down Under, putting its support behind 2009 winner Allan Davis. After that, it will build up for races like Paris-Nice and the spring Classics, with Vinokourov likely to try to defend his title in Liège-Bastogne Liège.
Kreuziger was this week at the team training camp in Montecatini Terme and had a chance to meet his new team-mates. He spent the first five years of his pro career with Liquigas and so this is the first time he has ridden for a different team. It’ll take a while to settle in, but he has a good feeling thus far.
“It’s still early to draw conclusions, but I will say that the team is going really well. The new riders in Astana are being very well integrated into the family and the other riders welcomed us well,” he said. “With all the mechanics, masseurs, etc. it is a big group. It is a family that will need a bit of time to get to know each other, but I think that at the next camp in Calpe, we will be very united. I believe that unity is our strength for next year.”