Director Brian Holm: "If you took Lars Bak's head and put it together with Alex's legs, then you'd have a Cancellara."
HTC-Highroad's young powerhouse, Alex Rasmussen, will take part in his first ever Grand Tour in May. The news came from HTC-Highroad director, Brian Holm, who spoke with Ritzau.
"Alex must continue to develop, and it will do him good to do a three week stage race. He's still a young talent, but we won't be able to call him that in two years, so we must push for his development now."
Rasmussen, speaking in turn with feltet.dk, was happy to find out the official news.
"We've talked about it for a long time, but I had not been told that it was official. I'm obviously very happy and really looking forward to the race. I'm already mentally preparing myself for it."
It is Rasmussen's head that appears to be of most interest to his HTC-Highroad team, as Holm notes the simple fact that Rasmussen has an engine that is difficult for anyone to rival.
"If you took Lars Bak's head and put it together with Alex's legs, then you'd have a Cancellara. Alex has the engine to go far, but the head still lags a little behind," said Holm.
Holm continues: "He is the new man on the team, and we do not know him well yet. We have an impression that he has much to learn as a rider. Alex lacks experience in the races, and he has not quite learned the ways of life as a professional rider yet."
The 26 year old rider's motor and sprinting prowess have made him an obvious candidate for a spot on Cavendish's leadout express. That evolution hasn't been without its lessons though, and it's something Rasmussen is still working hard on according to Holm.
"He has a habit of hitting the throttle a little too hard, so that Cavendish might be using too much energy to stay on his wheel. He must accelerate slowly. He must also figure out how to cut corners right to keep others from swarming. There are many things to learn, and it might take a year."
If the native of Svendborg can get things right in his leadouts with Mark Cavendish in Italy this May, the two could form a dazzling pair. Add Mark Renshaw to the mix, and things get even nastier for HTC-Highroads sprinting rivals.
For Rasmussen, the hope is that he can show himself well in his first ever Grand Tour, so that he can quickly gain access to his second - in July.
"All little boys dream of course of the Tour, but for me, it is of little matter whether it is the Giro or the Tour. The key is to ride a Grand Tour, get through it, and gain a lot of experience. Whether this means that I might not be racing the Tour this year, that may well be, but I will still try to do as well as possible at the Giro and perhaps earn selection in that manner."
First off, that little matter of what many are calling the most difficult Grand Tour in years. It won't be an easy task for the Dane to haul his solid frame over tens of thousands of meters of climbing in May's lap of Italy. Apart from just finishing, which in itself will be a major stepping stone for Rasmussen, the opening day team time trial stands as a day worth targeting for the rider who has already proven his worth on a time trial bike following his win in the TT at the Ruta del Sol against some major names in the sport last year, including Bradley Wiggins, Tony Martin, Michael Rogers, and Jens Voigt.
"There are two very important goals: I would really like to finish the race, which is my primary goal. In addition, I am very much looking forward to the team time trial, which opens the race. I would like to do a really good effort that day."
The former track World Champion isn't going to spend too much time poring over the route of the Giro d'Italia. He admits that the three week journey is overwhelming at first glance, so he'll take it piece by piece.
"I have not looked much at the stage profiles yet, and I won't do it too much, because it's depressing. I will perhaps look at the first five or six stages, and when they are done, then I can look at the next. It's easier to grasp that way."
Rasmussen will take part in today's GP Denain and will have a solid chance at a good result, but after that, his focus will turn entirely to his first Grand Tour, which looms only a few weeks distant.
"Since Paris-Roubaix, I have not done much. I will race [Thursday], then I'll take two days rest again. After that, I will start with the hard training for the Giro. I must be serious about my training. I plan to take the start in good shape."