Heading to the most mountainous rote of the Vuelta a España in years, the Katusha team has opted to back this year’s second place finisher in the Giro d’Italia, Joaquim Rodriguez, rather than three time Grand Tour champion Denis Menchov.
The latter was one of the team’s big-name signings last winter but hasn’t performed as expected this year, with the Russian time trial championships his only victory. He was fourth in the Vuelta a Andalucia and a distant fifteenth in the Tour de France. In contrast, Rodriguez has shown much better form, winning La Flèche Wallonne, netting two stages, the points classification and second overall in the Giro d’Italia, and also taking two stages and second overall in the Vuelta al Pais Vasco.
Head directeur sportif Valerio Piva is clear that Rodriguez will start as number one. “As usual it will be a very hard ‘Vuelta’. In particular the uphill finishes, concentrated in the last week, will be crucial,” he predicted. “I think we have a very balanced team: the leader will be Joaquim Rodriguez, just as in the ‘Giro d’Italia’, with great riders such as Denis Menchov and Dani Moreno to help him, especially in the mountains.”
The rest of the team will comprise Pavel Brutt, Xavier Florencio, Mikhail Ignatyev, Alberto Losada, Gatis Smukulis and Angel Vicioso.
Like Rodriguez, Moreno has also been riding well this year, clocking up victories in the Vuelta a Burgos, the ‘GP Miguel Indurain’ and two stages of ‘Criterium du Dauphinè’. And while Menchov has been quiet, he’s still a past champion, being a double winner of the Vuelta and also the victor in the 2009 Giro d’Italia,
Because of that, Piva is aware that one or other could also find themselves in good positions as the race progresses, even if they will start in the service of Rodriguez.
“That will be our starting organization: then, looking at our riders’ condition and situation, we will see if we should change this setting or not. But also the other riders can give us a huge support: Smukulis and Ignatyev will help us not to lose too much time during the team time trial and can do a great job leading the group during some stages, just like Brutt, Florencio and Vicioso during flat or middle mountain stages,” he said. “Losada, instead, will help ‘Purito’ in high mountain stages, just like Denis and Dani. Our goal is obviously the overall standings: we want to fight for general classification, even if we saw some stages we want to win.”
The race begins in five days’ time with a team time trial in Pamplona, then continues with no less than ten summit finishes, six of them in the high mountains. It will scale a total of 37 mountain passes and hills. With just 40 kilometres of individual time trial effort, it is a route which seems tailor-made for Rodriguez.
Piva hopes that is the case but also recognises that there are other big challengers. “The standard of the competition will be high, with some great riders at the start,” he explained. “For example, Chris Froome proved to be an incredible climber [in the Tour - ed.] and it will be hard to defeat, and I saw Alberto Contador in a great shape during ‘Eneco Tour’ even if he’s only back to races for a short time.”
Still, he believes that his own rider can clock up big results. In order to do that, he wants him to come into shape gradually, riding solidly early on but really shining towards the end.
“I think the stages against the clock won’t be too important: obviously we want to start well in the first team time trial and not to lose time, but with stages such as Los Ancares, Lagos de Covadonga, Cuitu Negro and Bola del Mundo on the penultimate day, there will be many chances to make the difference in the last week.”
If things go as he hopes, Rodriguez will be one of those blazing up the slopes and battling for the top GC position in those final days.
Also see: Unipublic presents mountainous route for 2012 Vuelta a España