Interview with Haimar Zubeldia

Today there is an article in the Diario Vasco about Haimar Zubeldia and because I adore him I will try to translate it for you and myself. Here is the intervies in spanish : http://www.diariovasco.com/20070829/deportes/ciclismo/zubeldia-vuelve-vuelta-espana-20070829.html

SAN SEBASTIAN We will not forget the fifth place in the Tour de France but Haimar Zubeldia knows that the Vuelta will be something totally different. He will return in the peloton after extending the Tour de France with the Clasica San Sebastian. " I don't really know in wich shape I am, I have recovered enough since the tour. The second week of August I rested, the third I trained very hard and the fourth I recovered again." said Zubeldia who has been training in Gipuzkoa and Jaca and he also trained with Markel Irizar and Andoni Aranaga.

Euskaltel is going to the Vuelta with a confident leader Samuel Sanchez, the man for the end of the season, with wich they don't only gamble for stage victories but also for the general rank. "The leader of the team is Samuel, who prepared the Vuelta conscientiously. He already showed that he can do good things in the month september. In Burgos he was at a good level and he assured he will be in good shape. But in general we will do the same thing as we did the whole season, try to get into escapes. The season ain't over yet !"

About the Vuelta, Haimar thinks that "Los Lagos" return too soon, the first stage even can be complicated. Of course in Asturias we will see who will be able to win and who won't. The race in general seems very open. The favorites will be Sastre, Menchov, Marchante and Pereiro, in the last year we saw there wasn't really a leader so it will be very open.

It seems that Haimar Zubeldia prefers the Tour de France above the Vuelta : "Yes, that's true, the tour suits me more than the Vuelta. In my first Vuelta I finished 10th, the climbs in the vuelta are more explosive, in the tour they are longer so you can ride your own pace.

Between the Tour and the Vuelta Haimar thinks that there's not enough time to prepare, just like between the Giro and the Tour. "The team of Euskaltel will be one with lots of difference, Landaluze will pick a day and win the stage, for Anton we will have to see how he recovered from the tour, Isasi is a very important rider for the team." With kindness for his companions Haimar tries to maintain the same line as they did in the Tour. " Aitor Hernandez, Alan Perez, Galparsoro, and Fernandez are riders with alot desire and we want to show that we are a team with alot desire.

Haimar will be the only rider from the Tour next to Anton. "Since the start of the season I knew that I would ride Tour and Vuelta, in the vuelta I will help Samuel, but if I can I will take my chance."