Norwegian Thor Hushovd made his debut as World Champion this morning in Cossato in northwestern Italy, at the start of the Giro del Piemonte one-day race.
"I was meant to have my holiday, but I was proud when I won the World Championships and I want to honour it by racing in 2010. And it is great to do that here in Italy," said Hushovd.
"It is a pleasure, this country is in my heart. I like the landscape, the food, and the little villages. Tuscany, for example, is great, but also the area around Bergamo is captivating. The language gives me problems, though. I am better off speaking in English or French."
Hushovd won the title and the rainbow jersey a week and a half ago where they speak English, in Geelong, Australia. He won a sprint from a small group of near 30 riders, ahead of Denmark's Matti Breschel and Australia's Allan Davis.
"When I was on the podium at the World Championships I thought how great it would be to look into the mirror with the rainbow jersey on. But a week has passed and I still have not had time to do it," added Hushovd.
"I am still the same person, with the addition of a very important victory. It is the attention on me that has changed. People keep looking for me to pull me this way or that way."
Besides representing the rainbow jersey, Hushovd is closing an important chapter for Cervélo TestTeam. He joined the team two years ago when it began as one of its two headline riders along with Tour de France winner Carlos Sastre. However, Bike manufacture Cervélo announced in August that it will end its project.
Cervélo's last races as a team are today and the Giro di Lombardia on Saturday.
Next year, Hushovd and Cervélo will join Jonathan Vaughters' Garmin-Transitions team. The team will be known as Garmin-Cervélo and feature a who's who of classics riders. With Tyler Farrar, Heinrich Haussler, it may be a crowded house and lead to infighting. Hushovd disagrees.
"I prefer to believe that together we will make everyone else worry," he said.
"Milano-Sanremo, Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix are on my mind. One is enough. To win one of them in rainbow jersey is worth winning ten of them."
Following Lombardia, Hushovd will have time to think about the classics as he will take a well-earned rest with his wife Susanne and daughter Isabel. He has scheduled an operation to remove a plate and six screws from his left collarbone and some TV appearances in Norway.