While he’s yet to clock up his first victory of 2012, Heinrich Haussler has been working hard to return to his best form and, according to Garmin Barracuda’s performance director Allan Peiper, appears on track.
The former pro stated that the younger Australian has worked very well over the winter, showing focus and discipline in order to shine in the Classics.
“I know firsthand that he has lived this winter like a real pro, and he has been really on track since November,” Peiper told VeloNation in a video interview conducted at the Tour de Langakwi. “I saw a message the other day where Heinrich said that he had been out training and it felt that he didn’t have a chain on. That sounds really good. He said that he felt like he had the legs like 2009.”
Haussler’s standout season three years ago saw him clock up a series of strong performances. He began with a series of high finishes and second overall in the Tour of Qatar, then clocked up victories on two stages of the Volta ao Algarve.
A win on stage two of Paris-Nice followed, then he moved on to Milan Sanremo where he looked the likely winner right until he was passed by Mark Cavendish on the finish line.
Devastated by that loss, he remained focused and placed second in the Tour of Flanders, seventh in Paris-Roubaix, won the GP Triberg-Schwarzwald and then took a solo victory on stage thirteen of the Tour de France.
He capped off the season with a stage win in the Tour du Poitou Charentes et de la Vienne.
Since then he’s been hampered by injury, with such problems in 2010 leaving him short of form in 2011. Still, a stage win in the Tour of Beijing showed that he was coming back.
Peiper believes that he’s back on track and while he states that Haussler needs to translate solid form into results, he’s happy with things thus far.
“For Milan Sanremo, Heinrich Haussler was close there a couple of years ago and hopefully that is where he can make the difference this year,” he said.
The big focus is on the Olympic Games, though. The course is believed to be a selective one, with repeated climbs of Box Hill making it likely the race could come down to a sprint from a small group. Haussler is fast as a sprinter but can climb better than many, meaning that he should be a medal contender if he gets his preparation right.
Peiper confirmed earlier reports that the Australian rider has decided to sacrifice the Tour. “He wants to come with the best possible preparation for the Olympics. He feels that is not doing the Tour de France.”
See the video below for Peiper’s assessment of Haussler’s preparation and prospects, plus his view on the Garmin Barracuda team as a whole.