VeloNews: Hesjedal is ready for more

VeloNews’ European editor Andrew Hood interviews Team Garmin-Transitions’ Ryder Hesjedal about his breakthrough 2009 season and what he hopes for in 2010.

Following a breakthrough 2009 season, highlighted by a mountaintop stage victory in the Vuelta a España, it’s no surprise that Ryder Hesjedal is hungry for more.

What is somewhat surprising is the race where he says he has some unfinished business – the Monte Paschi Eroica across the dusty dirt roads of Tuscany, where he’s finished 10th two years in a row.

The tall Canadian has twice figured in the late-race decisive moves on the strade bianche, a kind of Italian-style Roubaix across gravel roads that remind him of the logging roads he trains on in Victoria Island in Canada.

“I have my mind on Eroica, I’ve been trying to get my head around that one,” Hesjedal told VeloNews. “I’ve been close in two tries – that would be a beautiful victory. I love that race.”

Eroica, March 6, will be the first early season goal as Hesjedal motors into his third year with Garmin-Transitions as he builds on the momentum that comes with a breakthrough Vuelta stage victory last September.

That mountaintop grand tour stage victory only confirms in Hesjedal’s mind that he’s on track for even bigger things.

“I am very excited to see where we can pick up this season,” Hesjedal said during a break in the team’s training camp in Calpe last week. “I feel stronger than I did going into last season. I just want to continue to create opportunities for myself.”

Read the entire interview on VeloNews

Popularity: 1% [?]

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 4th, 2010 at 1:25 pm and is filed under Home Page, News, Slipstream and tagged with Ryder Hesjedal, velonews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.