Young Italian plans season: podium at Classics, Grand Tour stage win & Italian team
Italy's future classics star, Daniel Oss is planning big for next year. He wants to lead Liquigas to a podium place at one of the cobbled classics and win a Grand Tour stage.
"I feel suited to the Northern Classics, those on pavé," Oss told Tuttobiciweb.com.
"The Tour of Flanders is a beautiful monument and, with respect to 2009, this year went much better, but I also really like Paris-Roubaix, as well as the new Gent-Wevelgem. Yes, those are my races. I am a Classics rider, for one-day races or short stage races."
At the Tour of Flanders last year, Oss helped Liquigas team-mates Frederik Willems and Manuel Quinziato. He finished 100th, but fell in love. This year, he made the winning group at Gent-Wevelgem to finish fifth behind Bernhard Eisel and in the company of Philippe Gilbert. He was the best placed Italian at Flanders, where he finished in a group with Lance Armstrong at 2'35" behind winner Fabian Cancellara.
At 1 metre 90 tall, the 23-year-old is built to win Flanders or Roubaix, and those races top his list of priorities for next year.
"In order," he said, [he wants] "a podium place in a classic such as Flanders, Roubaix and Milano-Sanremo, a stage win at a Grand Tour and to wear [team Italy's] blue jersey at the Worlds in Denmark."
He explained that he wants to help the Italian road team, but he would like to give Italy its first time trial gold in the future.
"For 2011, I prefer the road. In the future, if I am able to prepare specifically, I would gladly like to try my hand in the time trial. For too many years now the Italians have not done well, except for Marco Pinotti."
Oss is currently with his team-mates on Passo San Pellegrino in the Dolomite Mountains. Over the last four days, the Liquigas riders have hiked in the snow covered forests and planned next season.
He is in the company of Grand Tour winners, Ivan Basso (Giro d'Italia) and Vincenzo Nibali (Vuelta a España). Basso is expected aim for the Tour de France next year, and will lead Liquigas at the Giro d'Italia. After the camp, Oss will head home briefly before the next meeting in Sardinia.
"My little free time I dedicate to my girlfriend Paola, Facebook, where I have over 5000 friends, music and reading books, I like Fabio Volo," he said. "I love the classic rock, like Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones, I deeply respect them, but also various existing groups, like the White Stripes. Before Flanders this year? I listened to Hell's Bells by AC/DC and I must say that the song worked well..."