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News :: July 2006

1 July 2006

Garzelli's Tour Time

Stefano Garzelli, photo: Makoto.Ayano/ CyclingTime.com

Stefano Garzelli (Liquigas) has designed his season especially for the Tour de France. The Italian from Varese skipped his home tour for the first time in his career to give teammate Danilo Di Luca space to ride for the GC in the Giro d'Italia. After a hot spring season, that included a win in Rund um den Henninger Turm, Garzelli took a short pause and has since rebuilt for the Tour: winning the final stage of the Tour de Luxembourg and coming close in the Italian Nationals.

"I am ready for the Tour to be here," said Garzelli Friday in Strasbourg. It is true, there has been a lot of waiting around for the riders and with the Spanish scandal it will be nice to get on the road and actually race. "Yes. These days are just setting around. Really heavy days."

Do you have any goals in the first week or will be a matter of more waiting? "Well there is the stage three to Valkenburg. It really suits my style and the two races that I have won this year have been similar courses. Then after that we will see if I race for the classification or a stage win."

How are your mountain legs? Are there any Tour stages that you will want to win. "The legs are great and I will try for a mountain stage. Certainly the Alpe d'Huez is the mythical stage that everyone dreams of." Yes. All the Italians are talking of the Alpe. There are Simoni, Cunego and Di Luca who all want to win this famed stage. "Yes. It would be a nice win."

You and Di Luca both have similar objectives for the Tour. Will you have to wait for him if he has difficulties? "No I will not. And he won't have to wait for me in the mountains. We will be doing parallel races and see how the other goes as to who will have the full support for the GC. There are no problems and it will be fine."

Congratulations on the great Nationals. You did a good race but there was not much you could do against Bettini in the sprint. "Thanks. Yes it is impossible to beat him in that type of sprint; he was strong."

Magnus Backstedt Back

Magnus Backstedt, photo: Makoto.Ayano/ CyclingTime.com

Big Magnus Backstedt is 100% back and ready to terrorize the roads. The giant Swede of Liquigas had a hard spring due to injures and was forced to miss his beloved Paris-Roubaix, but now he is back at the most important race on the calendar, the Tour de France.

"My body feels great," said Backstedt while relaxing on Friday, before the Tour de France start in 24 hours. "Nothing is wrong at all. On the bike everything feels right and I am excited to see how I go against the others."

You are going for the sprints? "Yes." Do have any aspirations of the Maillot Jaune, given a good prologue ride? "It would be great. I am going to go full gas every day and see what happens. I will do the best I can tomorrow and then see how the others finish, to see what is possible. I want to be up there in the sprints and there is no reason why I can't."

Will your girls be watching from home? "Yes. My oldest one had a hard time with me leaving for the Tour. I had to explain to her that I was going to race for three-weeks and that I would be back. I had to explain my job. She is still learning and we will talk every night on the phone."

BiciRace.com wishes the Liquigas crew a good Tour de France.

93rd Tour de France - presented by , 1 - 23 July
Main, Startlist, Classifications, Tour Favorites, Team CSC versus T-Mobile
Stages and Maps, Key Stages, Overall Map
Photos, The Dust Devil's Daily Wrap
Simoni and Saunier Duval-Prodir Updates
2005 Results

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