Fränk Schleck
TREK FACTORY RACING
I’m st ill leav ing a lot more energy out the re on the road tha n othe r ride rs but it’s all grad ually coming ba ck to me
Tonight is halfway through Paris-Nice and we’ve lucked out with the team hotel – we’re enjoying a rural castle retreat which is very fancy – not your usual run- of-the-mill race hotel. It makes a change from last night’s clean but cramped Campanile. You really get to know your roomie in small places like that! Ah, back on tour…
Thinking back, I reckon the quality of hotels has got better during my career. You might think that pros go on about their hotel too much but that’s because they’re such a big part of our lives – our homes from home.
But no matter what hotel, we’re always spoilt. The team sees to that. We get the food, the massage and everything taken care of – all we have to do is push down on those pedals for four or five hours.
This year I’ve been treated to some pretty cool hotels at the Tour Down Under and then Oman. The only problem there in the Middle East was the size of the hotel. It was so big that Andy and I were late for everything, even the race convoy one day!
That whole race was really impressive – well organised and a beautiful parcours. The only thing it missed was crowds but here at Paris-Nice, the whole family is out on the roads supporting the riders. In Oman, I think it’s fair to say the crowds were a lot smaller and even then there were no women or children. Still, these things always take time to grow and I’m sure it will in the next few years.
I’m pleased with how my form is progressing. I’ve not been sick and I’m still leaving a lot more energy out there on the road than other riders but it’s all gradually coming back to me. Paris-Nice was always going to be a milestone for me and after the race is over I’ll take stock and see what training I need to do to keep going forward during the season.
After that I head to Critérium International. It’s a race I love and a race I’ve won before, so I always feel positive heading there. Can I be a contender? I’m not sure. I still have a way to go before I reach perfect form, but Oman, where I was first over the hills, showed me I’m moving in the right direction.