I was about 12… the first time I saw cycling on TV. I definitely remember watching the Tour de France. Most kids get into cycling because of the Tour and the Giro and Vuelta as an extension of that. They have so much history and have been going for so long.
I’m excited for the Vuelta…which is a good sign which probably means I’m in a decent place. I’m in good condition.
I didn’t do a Grand Tour in my first pro season last year…but I got plenty of race days and experience in different scenarios. I’ve had a good progression until this moment. As a young guy, if you want to be a professional for another 10 – 15 years, there is no need to rush getting to a Grand Tour. It’s better to do it when you’re ready for it.
On Team Sky… we head to Grand Tours with big leaders so you can expect a higher workload than if you’re doing it with another team so the timing has to be right. I feel like I am ready for it now.
It’s a nice… symbolism to do the Tour of Spain as my first Grand Tour seeing as I’ve been based here for quite a number of years now.
I’ll be looking to… make the most of every opportunity whether it’s day one or day 21. It’s a big thing to discover how I will react to three weeks of racing but I’ll go into it open-minded and look after myself and definitely not be afraid to get stuck in.
Tao played a key role in helping Geraint Thomas win the Dauphine in 2018 (ASO/Alex BROADWAY)
A Grand Tour is… about managing your fatigue and recovery, paying attention to fueling like we saw in the third week of the Giro. The team shared a lot of info about how Froomey managed that. I also learnt a lot through racing with the Tour squad at the Dauphine in terms of recovery, post-stage nutrition and eating for the hard mountain stages. Managing the heat will also be a factor in the Vuelta but we have the expertise in the team when it comes to Grand Tours so I take comfort from that.
And Grand Tours also… offer incredible stories that will be written into history so it’s really exciting to be lining up in my first Grand Tour. It’s the pinnacle of cycling and I’m looking forward to discovering what it’s like to do a three-week race.
One of the cool things about the Vuelta…is that there are so many stages where anything can happen. It’s not like the Tour where you can say this will definitely be a sprint stage or that will be a climbers stage. Here, there’s aggressive racing and that’s a nice blank canvas for a young guy like me. It’s a big opportunity I don’t want to let it pass me by. I like it when there’s stuff going on and it’s not just a procession to the big final mountain when it’s watt per kilo going up the final climb. I like when there are tactics and different things going on. I grew up racing in Belgium where it’s chaotic. I love that attacking style of racing. Anything is possible.
Last modified: Jan 20, 2020
