“I don't know why it made so much noise this year …”
Tadej, how are you?
I'm fine, thank you. After the round, I spent calm time at home and I made some training sessions, then here we are already here for the end of the season. I'm happy with the way my summer happened. There were ups and downs, we are tired or we get sick very quickly because it is the end of the season but here I am, I am happy to be able to test my legs this Friday.
We talked a lot about your state of mind on the Tour de France, you looked tired …
When you do three weeks of blocks, it's normal to be tired at the end. I don't know why it made so much noise this year. I said after La Plagne (19th stage) that I was tired, it is completely normal. We are already tired after a day of racing so after three weeks …
You were efficient on the classics period, then on the turn: is it possible to have a third peak in form for the Worlds?
We'll see, I hope yes. It's always difficult to be in good shape at the end of the season but I have motivation for my last six races. The world championships have been a big goal since the start of the season, I hope to be ready.
“The team had already told me before the round that I could give up the Vuelta”
For which of these races you hope to be at your best?
I hope my form of form will be at the Worlds, this is the main objective of this end of the season. And I hope to keep it up to Lombardy and the holidays. But you never really know how the form will be, you have to go to instinct.
Your participation in the Vuelta was initially planned. What made you change your mind?
The team had already told me before the Tour that I could give up the Vuelta to give Joao (Almeida) a chance because he had shown that he was one of the best runners. So in my mind I said to myself: '' OK I go around and what's going on after that I don't care. '' I wanted to do the Vuelta, of course, but it's hard to do so many days of racing. I believe that in the end it was a good decision, we see how the team manages there (7 steps victories), they did not need me (he smiles)!
This Tour of Spain was notably marked by the official announcement of the departure of your teammate Juan Ayuso at the end of the season. What is your opinion on this?
On the one hand, it's sad to see him go, but on the other hand, I can understand that he wants to change landscape … It is difficult to have an opinion on this subject, the best would be to ask him.
