News Article -- January 31, 2007
Sastre Confident for Tour-Vuelta Success
Sastre, training in California last year, has grown into his team captain role.
After racing in all three of the season’s grand tours and finishing fourth in both the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España, Sastre insisted “once is enough.” He’ll skip the Giro d’Italia this year to focus completely on the Tour and Vuelta, races that suit him well and have delivered his best successes of his career.
“The truth is that even though I finished the season last year tired, I have recovered well and it’s not going to cost me anything,” Sastre told journalists before departing for the United States. “I feel excellent and I have more ambition and motivation than ever to make a great season.”
As always, Sastre was one of Team CSC’s most consistent riders in 2006.
He snagged an early win at the GP Primavera de Amorebieta in April before helping Ivan Basso win the Giro. He stepped into the void created by Basso’s unexpected departure from the Tour with grace and confidence, pulling within 12 seconds of the maillot jaune before settling into his best-ever fourth overall.
Sastre rebounded to finish fourth overall at the Vuelta before helping the Spanish national team push captain Alejandro Valverde onto the medal’s podium at the world cycling championships in Austria.
After a quiet winter, the 31-year-old enters his 10th professional season intent on stepping onto the final podium in the 2007 Tour (July 7-29). He is building his entire racing calendar on arriving in maximum form for the season’s most important race.
“This is a good year for me to do well in the Tour,” he said. “I can use my experience and I can count the support of my teammates.”
Sastre steps boldly into the leadership role at Team CSC following Basso’s departure for archrival Discovery Channel.
Rather than search out a new leader, Team CSC manager Bjarne Riis is counting that Sastre is more than ready to take the responsibilities of the team.
Other riders such as Alpe d’Huez stage winner Fränk Schleck will have more freedom, but the team rolls into London for the Grand Départ of the 2007 Tour de France confident that Sastre can aspire for the final podium on the Champs Élysées.
“For better or worse, even though I believe more for the better, the departure of Basso will put more pressure on me in the team,” he said. “CSC has confided in me and I believe there will be a great ambiance on the team and that’s the most important thing.”
Sastre has more than deserved this shot at Tour leadership. The lithe climber has always been a loyal teammate to captains Basso and Tyler Hamilton before him. Bolstered by his breakthrough stage victory in 2003 and his second place overall at the 2005 Vuelta, Sastre should benefit by having more responsibility this year.
“Carlos could do really well, no doubt about it,” said teammate Christian Vande Velde. “Carlos came into the Tour last year very fit, and with even more time with Bjarne and more training and more pressure on his shoulders, he’s going to pull through. He just needs that little edge to get on the podium. You couldn’t get much closer than he did last year.”
Sastre made the most of the off-season by relaxing with his family. He rebuilt his personal Web page (www.carlossastre.com) as well as hired a press officer to handle the increasing demands of the media as his star has risen steadily.
The friendly Spaniard said he was looking forward to training in California, where he can expect better weather than his hometown of El Barranco, a small village nestled in the mountains north of Madrid. Despite the cold and snow that blanketed the area within the past week, Sastre said he could continue training.
“We were able to ride despite the snow that had fallen in Ávila with temperatures at two below zero (Celsius), looking for clear roads. Fortunately the sol melted the snow and we could ride,” he said. “In San Francisco, this won’t be a problem.”
Sastre traveled first to Indiana to visit team sponsor Zipp wheels before arriving in California for the team’s three-week training camp.
“There will be two groups working with different intensities, depending on the rider’s program, but for sure we will do a lot of kilometers,” he said. “Everything is done in cycles of five days, four days training and one day rest.”
Upon his return to Europe, Sastre will be spending much of the spring racing in Spain. He’ll make his debut at the one-day Almería race March 4 and compete on Spanish roads through mid-April. He’ll often just drive to the race in his car so he can be home for a late dinner the same day.
“The Basque tour is a race where I can fine-tune my form. I always go well there. Last year, I won in Amorebieta just after finishing it,” Sastre said. “The Ardennes classics are always well-suited for me. Later, I will do the Tour de Romandie and the Tour de Suisse, as preparation for the Tour.”
For Sastre, the hour has come to make history. With a smile and quiet confidence, he’s more than ready for the challenge.
Sastre’s Tentative 2007 Schedule
Clásica de Almería (Spain) – March 4
Vuelta a Murcia (Spain) – March 7-11
Vuelta a Castilla y León (Spain) – March 26-30
Vuelta al País Vasco (Spain) – April 9-14
GP Primavera de Amorebieta (Spain) – April 15 *
Flèche Wallone (Belgium) – April 25
Liège-Bastogne-Liège (Belgium) – April 29
Tour de Romandie (Switzerland) – May 1-6
Tour de Suisse (Switzerland) – June 16-24
Tour de France (France) – July 7-29
Clásica de San Sebastián (Spain) – Aug. 4
Vuelta a España (Spain) – Sept. 1-23
* Sastre won in 2006