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Posts Tagged with "Cycling Tribe Interview"

Interview with Tour of Romandy winner Alejandro Valverde

June 28, 2010, 4:27pm

By Jarrod Patridge

CT: Firstly, congratulations on your win at the Tour of Romandy. You have been trying to win this race for a number of years now and this year it all came together for you. What was so different this time round compared to previous years?

A: It is true I have been trying to win here in the past because it is a race I like very much. Sometimes I was indeed very close to win. The main problem for me in the past was there were every year two or three stages which took place under very bad weather circumstances. More or less the same happened this year on the occasion of two stages but I have learned to race also when the weather is bad . My victory earlier this year in the Mediterranean Tour showed that already.

CT: I like what you said earlier this year about your amazing achievement in the world classification: "I believe that the fact of leading the world classification is an honour and a dream for any rider"

Is winning that competition your number one priority for 2010?

A: No it is not a priority. First of all because it is not a competition but a yearly ranking which rewards the most regular rider of the year in the races which make part of the World calendar. You win it if you are the most regular rider all through the year. That is why that classification is so important and it is an honour to lead it and more to win it because of its meaning and of course I will be very happy if I win it again.

CT: With the Spanish National Championships scheduled so close to the Tour de France this year does that affect your upcoming priorities and training?

A: Not at all. The National Championships use to be organized the week before the start of the Tour de France. It is a one day race and also not a priority to me. Of course it is something great to win the championship of his own country, for everybody, but in my team many other riders are able to be the best on that special day and if required I will be there to help them and won that title I already won in the past.

CT: There's still a lot on the cycling calendar for 2010, what race is the most important to you this year?

A: Every race is important and I already won several of them this year. Of course the Tour de France is the most important event of the year. Also for me.

CT: Would you be able to name the three things you find you've come to value the most being out on the road and all over the Continent so much of the year?

A: Friendship: I am very lucky because I make part of a team where all riders are friends and we have great fun together. Discovery: you learn to know a lot of people, of landscapes, of different countries and different ways of living. And last but not least my Family, because it is when you are far from home that you realize how much you miss them, how important they are to you.

CT: Stage 10, 2005 Tour de France, Grenoble to Courchevel was astonishing! This win really put you on the map globally. Can you tell us about it?

A: I won many races but maybe this is the most important one. I was taking part in my first Tour de France and that day in the Alps I was able to beat Lance Armstrong himself in a difficult mountain stage. He congratulates me after we crossed the line and that made me really happy. That day I became aware of the fact I was made for that kind of race and that some day may be my turn would come to win the Grande Boucle.

CT: What inspired you to want to become a professional cyclist?

A: Cycling was very popular at home. My father was a cyclist and my uncle too. It is normal I wanted to do like them. I practiced several other sports at school but I was very young when I knew I wanted to be a cyclist. Then came Miguel Indurain’s era and my love for that sport increased even more.

CT: Do you have a mentor for cycling? For life?

A: For cycling: Manuel Lopez who was my first coach when I was a very young rider. Has been very important to me. He taught me almost all I know about cycling. For life: my father.

CT: We enjoyed seeing you ride at the Tour Down Under, can we expect to see you back in OZ for the World Championships in Geelong this year?

A: I hope so. I had a great time in Australia earlier this year and I hope to make part of the Spanish selection which will try to win the world title at the end of the season.

CT: What is your best experience in life to date?

A: The birth of my three sons: Iván, Alejandro and Pablo.

CT: Can you give us some insight to what it's like to be part of a great team like Caisse D'Epargne?

A: It is for sure one of the best team of the world but besides the sporting and professional aspect what is very important is the fact that all the riders which form part of the team, whatever their nationality, become very soon good friends. Everybody feels comfortable and of course once we are on the bike we don’t even have to speak to know what the other ones think. A look is most of the time sufficient.

CT: If you could be any super hero, who would you be and why?

A: I would like to be Batman because I like his batmobile too much!

Tags: Alejandro Valverde, Cycling Tribe Interview
Read more | Comments (0) | Updated on June 28, 2010, 10:05pm

Alessandro Petacchi: Cycling Tribe Interview

June 22, 2010, 6:55pm

By Jarrod Patridge

Q. Alessandro, congratulations on your recent win in Stage 4 at the Tour de Suisse. Nobody likes to see a bad crash likethat, can you talk us through the last 100 metres or so and tell us how you managed to stay out of trouble.

Of course it’s not completely satisfying winning in a sprint characterized by a bad crash. This time, I was lucky: at 250 mt to go, I had to slow down because of a rider that closed my path and so I chose the right side of the street: I took a look at my opponents on the other side and suddenly I saw a strange movement and I heard a strong sound of crash. I went on pedaling and I won, but I thought it would not have been correct celebrate the success.

Q. Do wins like this and your other successes at the Giro di Sardegna and Giro di Svizzera give you greater confidence for the upcoming Tour de France?

This victory is important for the morale, since it came after a bad period for me, full of crashes, illness and bad luck. Now I have quite good feelings and I know I can be competitive in Tour de France sprints against the best sprinters of the world.

Q. Can you give us an insight into the type of training you have to do for races such as the Tour de Suisse and Tour de France?

The training is quite always the usual, even if I had to add some kilometers to the normal quantity because I had to rest for 10 days because of the bronchial asthma that stopped me in the Giro d’Italia. For a sprinter, it’s important to train for stamina and the explosiveness at the same time, so the peculiar part of the training in view of Tour de France is focused on this target.

Q. Over the years you have had amazing success at all three Grand Tours, can you tell us which win gives you the best memories?

Giro d’Italia, for an Italian cyclist, is always something special, so when in 2003 I won the stage in Lecce conquering the pink jersey it was a dream come true: this is my best memory related to a Grand Tour. Of course winning in Tour de France is also an outstanding thing, it’s a worldwide stage for every cyclist.

Q. In 2004 you won a phenomenal nine stages at the Giro d'Italia, that's unheard of! Can you tell us what it meant to you as an Italian racing on home soil to have such huge success?

As already explained, every Italian kid that begins to pedal on a bike dreams to win in Giro d’Italia. So, to realize that dream is the top. In addition, if you can get the pink jersey too, you can live moments that you’ll never forget.

Q. Throughout all these years, who has been your toughest opponent and why?

I can tell that surely the toughest opponent has been Mario Cipollini: he was and he still is an example for all the sprinters and I’m very glad that I could compete, and even win, in sprints against him. Mario was for sure the best one.

Q. We have seen you racing on the Wilier "Ale-Jet" Superleggera this season, can you tell us how this bike helps you in a sprint, and will we see you on it at the Tour?

Of course I will ride my Wilier Superleggera “Ale-Jet”: it’s a very good bike, whose frame is the perfect mix of rigidity and driveability. Wilier fulfilled my requests and needs in a perfect way, the feeling with the bike was immediate and for a sprinter is not always so usual.

Q Down the track, when you decide it's time to retire from cycling, what do you see yourself doing?

I have another year of contract with team Lampre-Farnese Vini: I’m focused on performing the best for my team, then if at the end of 2011 I have the will to go on in the cycling world, I will evaluate the situation. But at the moment I can’t really tell what it will be for my future.

And finally...

Q. What is the weirdest thing you have ever been asked to autograph?

The skin of the fans: it happens sometimes, but it’s always so strange…

Tags: Alessandro Petacchi, Cycling Tribe Interview, Tour de Suisse
Read more | Comments (1) | Updated on June 23, 2010, 7:56pm

Amanda Spratt: Cycling Tribe Interview

June 3, 2010, 2:37am

Q. Amanda, congratulations on your awesome win in the Grand Prix de Beauraing! Can you give us your thoughts on how it happened and what it felt like?

Thanks! As a team we went into the race wanting to be aggressive on a hilly course that suited us well, which is what we did. I saw an opportunity a third of the way through the race to bridge across to a rider who was solo off the front. It was a good course for a breakaway with strong winds and narrow roads so once we had the gap I knew I just had to drive it and always knew if I was caught I had 5 strong team mates in the bunch to light things up again.

To get my first win in Europe was pretty special, especially coming in solo. I had a mechanical a few kilometers from the finish but luckily I had enough time up my sleeve to stop and get it sorted… what can I say, just keeping things interesting for our DS Dave and mechanic Nicho!

Q. Your team mate Lisa Jacobs has a parent, Lisa's Mum, with an uncanny knack for what's going on in the peloton. Did she see this win coming and has she offered her congratulations?

She certainly did offer her congratulations, in fact she hand-knitted a commemorative tea cosy for me with a picture of my kangaroo salute stitched into it… Brilliant.

Q. To get a win like this must give you great confidence for the rest of the season. Does it change your targets at all?

It’s definitely good for the confidence to get a couple of wins under the belt. I think every result is a step in the right direction so it doesn’t really change the season targets for me. I had to take quite some time away from the sport to sort an injury so it has been a slow road back but I’m starting to see the rewards from some good solid training and racing.

Q. In breaking news, on top of your awesome win at the Grand Prix de Beauraing, you also took out the last stage at The Ronde de Bourgogne to cap off a phenomenal couple of weeks! Can you tell us how you got the win and where this great form is coming from?

It was definitely one of those races where everything went to plan. The goal heading into the final stage was for me to get myself into a break and try to move up onto 3^rd overall for GC. On the first lap my teammate Carlee Taylor got off the front with another rider and I bridged across to them, another 4 riders then came across which was great for us as it forced the yellow jersey team to chase. I attacked on the climb with 20kms to go and worked with another rider to stay away until the end. Carlee came in solo for 3^rd place and Lauren was safe in the bunch so we secured the young rider, mountains, points and teams classifications and 2^nd and 3^rd overall. It was a really great team effort.

Q. The Commonwealth Games & World Championships are still to come this year, do you hope to represent Australia at these events?

For sure they are definitely a goal. I think the World Champs course would be more suited to my strengths so that is one of my major goals to be able to race there. And of course racing the World Championships in Australia would be pretty special!

Q. Having the opportunity to race with the AIS in Europe doesn't come without great sacrifices. Can you take us through the journey that started with a 12 year old girl riding for the Penrith Panthers CC and now has you on the top step of the podium in a major European race?

Cycling has always been a pretty big part of my life - I raced BMX for 5 years before I came across to the road and track. In a way it does involve a lot of sacrifice but the rewards are definitely worth it. I always spent a lot of time away from home and from school but I think it has also taught me a lot of life skills from a very early age. The support we get from the AIS and all the staff involved is amazing and something I am very appreciative of, and it is because of them that we are able to come over here to race and to train and follow our dreams in such a supportive environment.

Q. Can you talk to us about the AIS team, your part in it and what are your greatest strengths?

We have a core group of 7 riders, and have been training and racing together since November last year so know each other pretty well by now! There is a good mix of strengths amongst us which I think combines well to mean we can work well together over any sort of terrain.

I have raced overseas for several years so bring more experience to the team and knowledge of the races. In terms of strengths on the bike I think I am more of an all-rounder and can be suited to different courses, especially in breakaway situations. Why finish in a bunch when you could finish solo!?

Q. Over the years you have also had great success on the track. Do you have a preference for road or track?

I was really stuck when I first came out of juniors as to which direction I should be heading in and struggled with it for a little while, but I am so passionate about the road now and couldn’t imagine taking a different path. Having said that I always love to get back on the track whenever I am back at home, even if it is only for a speed demon session behind the derny!

Q. 12 months from now, where do you think we will see Amanda Spratt?

Living in Europe as a wiser, stronger and fitter cyclist…With a few more results on the board!J

And finally...

Q. If Cyclingtribe took a look inside your refrigerator what would we find?

I hate to be boring but probably a whole lot of salad, fruit and yoghurt! I love fresh foods, especially the summer fruits. Lucky for me we are just about to hit up Summer in Italy!

Tags: Amanda Spratt, Cycling Tribe Interview, Australian cycling
Read more | Comments (1) | Updated on June 3, 2010, 4:32pm

Graham Watson: Cycling Tribe Interview

May 12, 2010, 10:28pm

Q. So, first things first, who fill finish on the podium at this year's Tour?

A.Contador, Lance, A.Schleck - in that order...

Q. Let's talk a bit about photography, how old were you when you discovered that you were pretty handy with a camera, and what got you into cycling photography?

A.About 18 years old, I was working in a society photographer's studio in London between 1972-77. I bought a bike as I couldn't afford the train fare, and then got fit enough to join a cycling club and race a bit. I was useless at racing but went to see the Tour finish in Paris in 1977, and got hooked on it, realised I wanted to photograph a sport that was as beautiful as it was athletical...

Q. You cover so many races all over the world, do you have a favourite race that you just love to attend?

A.I love them all really, they are all different, and in different parts of the world and in different conditions and with different cyclists. My favourite one-day race is Paris-Roubaix - a great adventure with guaranteed good photography. My favourite stage-race is probably the Dauphine-Libere - a mini Tour de France with great racing, great scenery, great weather, but without the stress and disruption the Tour brings.

Q. Riders get a chance for that feel good factor- winning a breakaway, a sprint, pulling their team through. What is the major high for you in your job?

A.I get my kicks in many ways with a camera. The high-point is taking a shot that none of my colleagues have seen - it could be a crash, a beautiful scenery shot, a moment in the race when you have captured an attack, or simply just an off-beat moment by a famous cyclist. By and large, photographers are quite primitive and tend to follow each other around in the belief that they'll all get the same great shots. There's nothing that beats the feeling of getting something no-one else has got - it's a rare thing!

Q. Of the thousands of images you have taken, do you feel you have captured 'the perfect image' or is it still around the corner?

A.You have to tell yourself each day that you want to find that 'perfect shot', but I feel I came close enough in the 1986 Tour. It was a shot of Hinault and LeMond together on Alpe d'Huez, picture-perfect in every sense - hard to beat it.

Q. When you're out on the course, camera ready, what is it you want to really capture in a photo. How do you help people to see what you see?

A.Firstly, you have to have a passion for your chosen subject, this takes the cycling photographer to a higher level than his non-cycling counterpart who may not understand the sport enough to get decent images.

I want to capture many things in an average day: the beauty is paramount to me, that includes scenery shots and the more cruel beauty of the actual sport. I want to capture the cyclists at their very best, which means getting the right angle on them at the right time, instead of the wrong angle at the wrong time...

I want to capture the best of the action at the crucial moments of the race - this comes with that understanding of the sport, as well as experience. The photographer has to know when to take close-up action images or record the 'bigger' picture - the wondrous landscapes that our races travel through. All this makes for quite an absorbing day, and no two days are ever the same...

Q. Are there ever times when you're standing in the middle of nowhere waiting for the bunch of guys in lycra and you're tired, cold & dirty, wishing you were home in front of the heater with a chardonnay?

A.I never feel like that - I enjoy each and every hour of each and every day I'm working, through all weathers and conditions... Take the good days with the bad, so to speak - and be grateful you've got a job that most people would die for...

Q. Do you ever get to go to a race without the camera and just enjoy the event as a spectator?

A.Not really, I tend to steer clear of cycling when I'm not working, except to ride a bike myself... But I would like to come back and see some races when I one day retire as a photographer, see the Tour in the Alps the Classics on the cobbles, etc..

Q. For all the mum's & dad's out there looking to get the perfect shot of their son/daughter, what are the top 5 tips you could give them to get a photo worth putting on the wall?

A.It can be quite hard to photograph friends and family racing or even riding a bike - you are automatically distracted from your camera by seeing someone you know well! The rules are the same as any other cyclist you are photographing: focus on their heads, as this is the point of the body that moves the less at speed. Arms, legs, shoulders and feet all move a lot; the head does not. Choose between a side-on or head-on shot, a longer lens is required for the head-on shots. Side-on shots are best done on the inside of a corner or bend, when the speed comes down a bit and you can be sure of exactly which line the cyclist will take. Choose a high shutter speed - 1/500th minimum - which will freeze the subject adequately enough, and lessen the risk of camera shake. Then, all you have to hope is that the cyclist looks as well composed as your treasured shot!

Q. We saw you in Adelaide this year for the Tour Down Under, can we expect to see you in Melbourne for the World Championships? And if yes, will you share with us the best places to get the perfect shot!!??

A.I'll be in Melbourne/Geelong, for sure. But you probably know a lot more than I do about the circuit... I hear it is very technical, and there might be a lot of wind at that time of the year... I'd love to see an Aussie win it, someone like Robbie McEwen or Allan Davis if it's a sprint - or Evans if it is a really hard race.

And finally...

Q. If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?

A.Risotto...because there are so many kinds of that dish!

Graham thanks for chatting with us at CT.
See Grahama's images at his website www.GrahamWatson.com

Tags: Graham Watson, Cycling Tribe Interview
Read more | Comments (0) | Updated on May 12, 2010, 10:43pm