August 25, 2009 (Plouay, France) – We caught up with top Canadian pro Michael Barry (Columbia-HTC) following the GP Ouest France-Plouay ProTour race on Sunday where he placed 24th. Barry is having a solid year and shared his thoughts on his form, missing the Tour de France, the men’s ProTour coming to Canada, and his goals for the rest of the rest of the season.

Tell us about the GP Ouest France-Plouay race where you finished 24th.
Michael Barry: The race is a nice circuit race in western France. The course is challenging and the crowds are massive and ebullient. It seems like the heart of French cycling might be in Plouay. The race was controlled from the start as the breakaway was small and the time gap easy for the peloton to manage so the group didn’t fracture as much as it has in past years and the race perhaps wasn’t as tough as a result.

How did it feel racing with four Canucks on the start line (Dominique Rollin, Ryder Hesjedal and Christian Meier were also at Plouay)?
MB: It is always nice to be in the peloton with other Canadians although we didn’t have much time to chat. I don’t think there have ever been as many Canadians on top level squads – amazingly, I think there will be four starting the Vuelta – which is what we need to bring the sport to another level in Canada. Hopefully, we will be able to inspire some young kids and cycling in Canada will grow, and prosper.

How are your legs and condition in general these days?
MB: I had great legs yesterday, which I was happy with as it confirmed that my training has been good for the last month. I knew I was fit as my values in training were better than ever. The race wasn’t really hard enough for me to use them and the the peloton never blew to pieces. My mistake was that I raced apprehensively as I was unsure of my form after a long break from racing which was frustrating as there isn’t anything much worse than finishing a race still feeling fresh with regrets. But, I now have confidence going into the next races – Tour of Missouri, and hopefully the Road Worlds where the course is very tough and I think suits me well, and then the end of season Classics in Italy. I’m confident I will improve with each race and that my schedule will provide me with some good opportunities to perform.

How tough was it not being selected for the Tour de France this year?
MB: I was disappointed as my fitness was very very good. There is nothing worse than sitting at home with good legs and not being able to use them. But, I also understood the situation: the team had 15 strong guys on the list for the Tour which made it difficult for management to pick the team. I likely would have gone with virtually any other team in the peloton but, as in past years, I am on one of the strongest teams in cycling and the roster is stacked. I had done more races early in the year than anybody else (65 after the Dauphine) so they decided to go with riders who might be a little ‘fresher’.

The men’s ProTour is coming to Canada in 2010 – what are your thoughts and what are you hearing?
MB: It was fantastic to hear this news. I love racing in Canada and haven’t been able to do it much in the last ten years. I watched the race in Montreal as a kid and always dreamed of racing it. Now, hopefully, that dream will become reality. Races like these are just what Canadian cycling needs to help the sport grow and prosper. Montreal and Quebec are two of the best cities for good hard circuit races so, if they are promoted well they could be two of the most exciting new events on the calendar.

What’s next on your schedule?
MB: The Tour of Missouri, (Road Worlds if I’m selected), and then the five Italian one-day races at the end of the season.

All the best and thanks for taking some time with us.
MB: My pleasure, thanks.

May 16, 2008 – Michael Barry (Team High Road) is re-energized for 2008 after a tough season last year. He recently competed at the Ardennes classics including Amstel Gold, Fleche Wallone, and Liege-Bastogne-Liege, and this past Monday placed 20th at the Neuseen Classics Rund um die Braunkohle in Germany. We caught up with Barry to find out how his season has been going and what lies ahead.

I interviewed you at the Tour of California, which you didn’t race this year – what happened and will you be back for 2009?
Michael Barry: As I didn’t race for a good portion of the 2007 season due to illness I was scheduled to start the season slowly and build up for the late spring races which is why I didn’t race in California. Hopefully, I will be back there next year as it is a great race and is always nice to race in front of a North American crowd.

You placed 20th in the Neuseen Classics in Germany and the team did well in the mountains and sprints while your team mate Mark Cavendish notched a sprint victory at the Giro on Stage 4 – do you wish you were there instead?
MB: Initially, I was scheduled to ride the Giro but I asked to have my program changed so that I could ride the Vuelta Catalunya and the Dauphine Libere. Both races are in areas I know well (Catalunya passes through Girona, where we live, and the Dauphine has a stage start and finish about 500 meters from where I raced as an amateur.) It would be great to be at the Giro with the boys as it is a fantastic race and it is always fun to be a on winning team, but I am motivated for the coming races and have been focussing on this schedule for a month or two.

Tell us about the transition from the T-Mobile to the new Californian-based Team High Road and if much has changed.
MB: Not much has changed as far as the team structure as the organization, schedule and staff are all the best in cycling. There were, however, significant roster changes and we do less racing in Germany now and more racing in North America. Essentially, T-Mobile decided to stop sponsoring the team but the organization, High Road, had enough funds to continue for another two years. They hope to find a long term sponsor that is committed to the sport, clean racing and to change.

Team owner, Bob Stapleton, has invested in highly advanced anti-doping procedures. Do you feel this will help the team to be in a much better position to avoid scandals?
MB: A few teams in the peloton are setting new standards in anti-doping with the hope that the procedures become universal through the peloton, and sport, in the coming years. The UCI has already adopted the biological passport which is a step in the same direction that our team has taken with ACE. Change is happening and things are moving in the right direction.

Kim Kirchen is one of THR’s big GC talents along with other top veterans. Will you be pulling your GC teammates up the Alps in July at the Tour or is that still being decided?
MB: My goal is to be there in July and if I am fit, I will be. I love working for a good team, and a good leader. To me that is as fulfilling as a top individual performance on many levels. I love to perform well and win, as I am innately competitive, but being a member of a good team is unparalleled as you can share the performances with the group.

Does it matter which events you race in be they the Grand Tours like the Giro, or classics or crits?
MB: Every time I race to do my job for the team, whether it be jumping in the early breaks, pulling on the front, protecting the leader, or racing for the win I compete to the best of my ability whether it be in a Grand Tour, a one-day Classic or a crit. I have raced seven grand Tours now – helping two leaders win: one Giro and one Vuelta. There is obviously more nervous energy and excitement when I get to the big targets/races but as a professional I always try to do my job for the team to the maximum at every start line.

What’s your schedule for this year as you know it?
MB: Right now, I know I will race the Vuelta Catalunya and the Dauphine Libere. After that it all depends on my form. I am counting on being on the start line at the Tour.

Has your training changed for this year or are you sticking to the training bible you already wrote with your wife Dede?
MB: I didn’t change much although, I had to start off a little slower this season as I had so much time off the bike last year; but, aside from that I stick to what I know works well for me. Also, instead of working out in the gym I stuck to core training as it is more effective as it crosses over to cycling better.

Tell us about the new Giant bikes — have they’ve improved over last year?
MB: The new bikes are equiped with Shimano and we run a range of wheels. Giant designed new frames that are lighter and stiffer and therefore, perform better as they respond to the accelerations and corner well. The riders all seem happy with the new frames and the changes.

What are your goals this year with the 2008 Beijing Games in the mix?
MB: The Tour, the Olympics and the end of season Classics and Road Worlds remain the primary goals for me in 08. The program works out well as the Olympics and the Tour are clustered together and then, with a little break, I should be in good shape for the end of the year.

After this year does your contract expire with THR? You seem happy with the team that’s made big gains so far.
MB: Yes, I am very happy with the team. We have a great group of guys and we are working in the right direction towards positive change in cycling. The team has also chosen to work with Right to Play which is an organization I believe in and have supported for a few years as it ties elite sport to the essence of what sport it all about: getting out, having fun, being healthy, participating, learning and growing. My contract is up at the end of the season but I hope to continue racing for High Road in 09.

How is the controversy for control between the UCI and ASO affecting things in the pro peloton?
MB: Before everything settles down and a proper structure in cycling is achieved we will have to endure a battle for that control. I trust that everything will be much better once we get through this tumultuous, disorganized period — we all hope it happens sooner than later.

The riders are caught in the middle why is the pro cycling union so slow in claiming their rights and sue either the UCI or ASO?
MB:The pro cyclists’ representation is not strong enough to take on either the UCI or ASO at the moment and is somewhat at their mercy. Cycling doesn’t have an organization representing the athletes to the extent that the NHLPA (National Hockey League Players Association) does in hockey but we desperately need it. But, for that to work everybody needs to have the same vision, which isn’t the case in cycling for the moment.

Don’t riders have the full support of their collegues and teams as far as speaking out against certain disadvantages they are saddled with?
MB: Yes, the teams are supportive for the most part, but often they look out for their interests before the riders’, which is normal as it’s business. Right now there are divisions within the teams and also amongst the riders – some want to see things change while others would like everything to go back to how it was a few years ago instead of thinking progressively which is very much why the sport is so fractured and disorganized at the moment.

Last year you mentioned possibly writing a book “based on the Classics from Flanders to Roubaix” – or are you secretly working on an updated Canadian version of the Oscar winning Breaking Away?
MB: Yes, I still take notes and write often. I have a few projects I have been working on and maybe I will put something concrete together through the off-season, but racing is my focus right now. Breaking Away was a classic but to me the best cycling movie ever was the documentary La Course en Tete. To me, that movie really captured cycling, the cyclist, life on and off the bike, and the culture of the sport – the movie beautifully conveyed Merckx’s passion for his bike.

Thanks for taking the time to reach out to your fan base at Pedal.
MB: Thanks, and thanks to all the readers and Canadian fans for their support.