March 15, 2005 – Tirreno Adriatico is the second race of the Pro Tour and also the lead up to the classics where riders fine tune their fitness before MSR (Milan San Remo) and the northern classics. We were here with our classics team – Leif Hoste, George Hincapie, Stijn Devolder, Max Van Heeswijk, Roger Hammond, Vladamir Bileka and Pavel Padrnos. The team has been riding really well over the past few weeks and we came to try and win a stage, place a few riders in the top ten overall and to finish well in the team classification.

This race is essentially a sprinter’s event with rolling stages and small short climbs but without any really difficult sections. So far Oscar Freire from Spain has dominated the race and looks to be the strong favorite for the overall victory here and also at MSR. I arrived here feeling good on the bike and fit but I injured my back on the third stage, struggled through the fourth stage and then came to the decision with Dirk Demol and our team doctor not to start this past Sunday in order to try to recuperate for Milan San Remo. George and Stijn have been consistently finishing in the top ten and are looking to be solid leaders this weekend and in the coming weeks.