Stating that the mental frustration of missing the world championships was tougher than the physical strain of the injuries which kept him out of it. Rabobank’s Matti Breschel is fired up to get back to speed in 2012.
“The plans are to try to win Classics, of course,” he said in a video interview recorded by his team’s media channel, RaboSport [see below]. “Just starting out the season…I am really looking forward to that already. We have to try to win some races.” He’s clear on where he would most like to succeed: “The Tour of Flanders and world championships, those races.”
The Danish rider had a season to forget this year, missing several months due to injury and failing to rack up a win. He showed improving form when he was twice second on stages of the Tour of Denmark, then placed fifth and sixth on stages two and three of the Vuelta a España.
However he broke two fingers when he fell on the sixth stage of the race, and this meant that he had to pull out of the Danish team for the worlds. He had previously taken the bronze medal in 2008 and silver in 2010.
“It was not funny, I’ve been looking forward to that race for a few years,” he said, regretting the lost opportunity to become world champion at home. “The parcours was in my back yard, more or less, where I have been training. So it was a shame.”
The disappointment would have been bad enough if it was the worlds alone that was affected, but after already missing the Spring Classics it was yet another piece of rotten luck. He described 2011 as a ‘terrible season in many ways,’ but said that he is hoping for better fortune in 2012.
“That’s the game…you cannot do anything about it, you just have to keep on working hard, keep up the morale,” he said.
Video courtesy of Rabosport.nl: