Where others' careers come to an end, his are just beginning. He takes his time for success, doesn't want to force it, but stays in the middle of the action, sprinting like a mustang with the herd. Will he be able to win one of the big tours this year?
Bruno Fleckenstein
He's not about the media hype or being adored. He is a true sportsman who simply wants to win. He still seems to be one of those athletes on whom the sport is built, who are reliable and for whom doping is not an issue, because a real victory is more than fame, money and publicity.
His wave of success began especially with the change in 2010, when he moved from the Caisse d'Epargne team to the Katusha team. Of course, he had already won individual stages since the beginning of his professional career in 2001, such as the 6th stage Paris - Nice in 2003 or the 8th stage of the Vuelta. But the number of successes only increased with time. 2009 was a year in which he won the bronze medal at the Road World Championships.
In 2010, he became the world's best rider according to the UCI ProTour road racing rankings for the first time. He repeated this feat in 2012 and 2013, narrowly missing out on winning one of the grand tours in 2012. At the Giro d'Italia, he went into the final stage race 31 seconds ahead of Canadian Ryder Hesjedal and 1:51 minutes ahead of third-placed Michele Scarponi ...
You can find the whole article in the new issue "Sportguide Bike 2/2014″ available at the kiosk or from us.
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