In a recent talk with feltet.dk, Danish talent, Matti Breschel, details his ambitions for the coming years as he readies to leave the team of Bjarne Riis for Rabobank. The 2009 Danish Road Champion hopes to pull off the difficult double a la Philippe Gilbert and be competitive in both the Cobbled and Ardennes Classics. Afterwards, he will veer off the course of the Wallonian and set off in search of his first Tour de France stage win next July.
Breschel is quick to note that he was happy with the time spent on the Danish team headed by Riis, but the 25 year old wants to explore new horizons in 2011.
"I've obviously been happy to race with the Saxo Bank team, but I'm not thinking so much about what I leave behind, rather, now, I'm looking ahead. I want to see new challenges and try something new, get a little hair on my chest."
Breschel's first priority in 2011 will be the early season Classics. The opportunities afforded him by the new Rabobank team were huge in his opting to move to the Dutch team. While he was still a rider with a lot of options on the Saxo Bank team, there was no one that could hold a candle next to the dominant presence of Fabian Cancellara. Breschel could have possibly been a factor if the opportunity had presented itself, but he was certainly a Plan B on a team that rightly threw all of its weight behind the powerful Swiss superstar.
"I am totally game for the Classics and can't wait to pull on a new jersey. I'm excited to meet some new people and work in a different way. It is obviously something like a revolution, but it is also an important step. It is clear that they need me to perform in the Classics, and it is of course one of the reasons I switched teams. I can have free reign in the races, and I will not miss out on anything. We will talk more about it when we meet following the end of the season."
The new leadership role at Rabobank could be just what the ever improving rider needs. Breschel confesses to at least some frustration this year, in particular at the Tour de France, where the goal was without question, the success of Andy Schleck: "It's not because I did not get chances this year, but it does make one a little sour when you have to ease up on a rise, when otherwise you might have attacked."
The next step for the rider from Ballerup in 2011 will be to continue his hopefully fine form just a little while longer and push through into the Ardennes. While Fleche Wallonne and Liege-Bastogne-Liege might be a bridge too far for Breschel, the Amstel Gold Race seems to perfectly fit his capacities.
"If I can avoid injuries, crashes, and illness, I can do it. I think the Amstel Gold race, at least on paper, is really good for me. So yes, it is definitely a possibility."
The typically select group that reaches the foot of the Cauberg could fit Breschel's fast finish very well. While Breschel is the kind of rider that can win out of a small group, sometimes even in a larger group, as he proved in 2008 with a bunch sprint victory in Madrid to finish off the Vuelta. However, Breschel isn't putting his eggs in the field sprinting basket. If he's going to find success in his third goal of 2011, the Tour de France, it will need to be over a selective finale.
"I tried on the Champs-Elysees this year [he finished 8th], and there were some riders that were a lot faster than me, so it is something that if I worked on it, perhaps I could get better, but it is not my plan right now, especially with someone like Freire on the team. I just want to make the race, and hopefully, I have the legs to do that. Stages where there are a few climbs in the finale are more suitable for me."
Breschel proved his talent for tough finishes once again with a win in the very selective third stage of the Tour of Denmark. While Tour de France stage glory is certainly on his mind, Breschel is not getting too far ahead of himself.
"Right now, the focus is on the rest of the season, and then we will take a look at next year. We all must get through the Classics before we look to the Tour. Hopefully, I can go for a stage or two, which is good for me.