Sastre’s Giro prep include Basque tour, AGR and Liège
- By VeloNews.com
- Published Apr. 3, 2009
Tour de France champion Carlos Sastre continues on his road toward the Giro d’Italia with a trip to the hilly, six-day Vuelta al País Vasco.
The Cervélo TestTeam captain wants to see marked improvement in his condition during challenging and highly competitive week of racing in Spain’s hilly Basque Country.
“It’s the last stage race that I will race before the Giro and I hope to feel the accumulation of the work I’ve done,” Sastre said. “The goal is to arrive at the start of the Giro in the best condition.”
Typical of his program from the past few years, Sastre has started his 2009 season without pressure.
During the Vuelta a Castilla y León last week, Sastre was content to float in the pack while riders such as Alberto Contador and Levi Leipheimer were already performing at a high level.
“Everyday I am feeling better sensations. The Basque tour, with its characteristics and its difficulty, is like a mini-Giro,” he said. “I hope to sharpen my form in this race, because afterward I will only race Amstel Gold Race and Liège before starting the Giro.”
Sastre’s top goals this year include aiming for a podium spot at the Giro, defend his title at the Tour and perform well at the world championship in Mendrisio, Switzerland.