Given that he’s been racing as an amateur and then as a pro in Europe for several years, and that he lives in the country, its surprising that Taylor Phinney has never competed in Italy.
The BMC Racing Team rider has certainly chosen a good one to start with, though, with the talented American currently racing towards the battlegrounds of the Cipressa and the Poggio in Milan-Sanremo.
The longest of the Classics at 298 kilometres, the race will be a real test of his endurance and also his placing in the bunch. He’s just 21 and is consequently one of the youngest in the field, but he also has the class to handle big challenges.
In terms of preparation, an illness-provoked withdrawal from Paris-Nice was not the ideal scenario but, as Phinney told VeloNation yesterday, things have otherwise gone well and he’s been able to get in some long training rides in order to prep his body for the demands of today’s event.
Right now he’s riding for his BMC Racing Team companions such as former world champion Alessandro Ballan and 2011 WorldTour champion Philippe Gilbert. Further ahead, though, he believes that the race is one which could suit him perfectly in the years ahead.
“As I get more and more professional racing in my legs, and also improve my sprint a bit, I think it will be a great race for me,” he confirmed.
“It is not incredibly difficult but it is hard enough to make a selection…the climbs of the Cipressa and the Poggio are not terribly steep.”
His first participation will be about building experience, but he also wants to show as well as possible and do his utmost to ensure the BMC Racing Team is a factor in the finale.
Read on for VeloNation’s chat with one of the US’s best future prospects for Classics success….
VeloNation: First off, Taylor, Milan-Sanremo represents your first time ever racing in Italy. What are your thoughts?
Taylor Phinney: Well, it is a pretty big race to start with as my first race in Italy. I am really happy to race here, though – I live in Tuscany and it feels like a second home.
It is a lot easier to eat pre-race meals here, choke down some pasta because it is really good.
I am loving it so far and really excited to be part of the first big monument of the year.
VN: Milan-Sanremo is an extremely long race, at 298 kilometres. Did you do any specific training for it, different to your usual sessions?
TP: Unfortunately I had to drop out of Paris-Nice because of a stomach virus. That was bad because it didn’t give me the race days that Paris-Nice would have provided. But I was able to go home, get better and do some stuff, some seven-hour plus rides which I felt were necessary for this weekend.
Really, just sitting on a bike saddle for that length of time was the most important thing.
VN: How do you feel now after your sickness?
TP: I feel fine. It was just a 24 hour stomach bug, and it was one of those things that happens. When you are in the middle of a race and you lose everything that you have put into your stomach and you can’t eat that next morning, it is really almost impossible to keep going unless it’s an easy race.
I had to stop, but I went back home to Italy and felt better almost 24 hours later.
VN: Thor Hushovd is out of the lineup for Milan-Sanremo, so how will this change your role in the team?
TP: We haven’t had our team meeting yet but I would assume that I’ll definitely be in a supporting role. I would expect to be doing that. Even without Thor, we still have a pretty star-studded lineup, with Ballan being in great condition and then Gilbert and Van Avermaet also there. George [Hincapie] is going to be up there, and Quinziato is going to be up there and Michi [Michael Schär] Is always really strong.
Hopefully I will be surviving the Cipressa and the Poggio and be able to make that front group and try to help the guys. For me, it is really a great experience and it means I can also showcase my talent in a support role, kind of like what I did in Het Nieuwsblad.
VN: So what are your expectations here?
TP: Well, it is obviously going to be a really long race, but it is a race filled with so much history that it is just special. I imagine that you’ll be able to feel that history the whole time you race through it.
I am really looking forward to it, more than anything, and definitely feel ready. The guys we have here all really mesh really well, get along really well, so we’ll take it on.
VN: Is this a race that suits your characteristics, and that you can target in the future?
TP: Yeah, for sure. I think this race, more than a lot of other races, will be a really good race for me. As I get more and more professional racing in my legs, and also improve my sprint a bit, I think it will be a great race for me.
It is not incredibly difficult but it is hard enough to make a selection…the climbs of the Cipressa and the Poggio are not terribly steep.
Also, being in Italy, it is kind of like a second home race for me. So hopefully in the years ahead I’ll definitely be getting better and better and be up there for the win, one of these years.
VN: Who do you believe will be the best hopes from the BMC Racing Team?
TP: Well, I think Ballan [pictured - ed.] has really good form right now. Just interacting with him, you can tell he is in good shape and mentally he is strong. Gilbert is a guy who everybody knows how incredibly strong he is. He has yet to bust out his wild side this year, but with him you can never really be surprised when it comes out.
So between those guys… Okay, Van Avermaet is struggling with a little bit of a heel issue, but I don’t think that will hinder him…it is nothing to do with his knees or his quads or his hips or anything. Form-wise, he’ll definitely be up there. And as a team as a whole, we are really strong. We’ll be able to communicate and really figure out what the best option is.
VN: Who do you see as the biggest rivals?
TP: Well, I think a lot of people are pinpointing Cavendish as the favourite. He has definitely been pretty vocal in the media about wanting to win this race in the rainbow jersey.
A guy that I see doing really well is Peter Sagan – he is one of the riders where if the race is harder and if a real selection is made, he can definitely be there. He has shown really good form in Tirreno, especially in some of the longer stages. So I wouldn’t be surprised if Liquigas tried to make every climb quite difficult, just to put pressure on the pure sprinters and give more opportunities to Peter Sagan and Vincenzo Nibali.
VN: What is your programme like after this race, and your upcoming targets?
TP: Hopefully I will be doing Gent-Wevelgem, Flanders and Roubaix after this. I am not official for any of those races, but that is the optimal programme. With a team like the team we have, it is a pretty huge honour just to be named part of one of the monument Classic teams, so for right now I am happy with being a rider here in Milan-Sanremo. As we go forward, Flanders and Roubaix are the next two really big targets, with Gent-Wevelgem inbetween.
After that, I have a bit of a break, where I am going to put in a lot of effort looking forward to the Giro. It starts with an eight kilometre time trial that I will be focusing very, very heavily on…