American rider looking forward to make racing debut in Italy
Prologue winner in the 2011 Eneco Tour and runner up in the same test in the Tour de Romandie, talented 21 year old American rider Taylor Phinney has a big ambition in mind for the new season: grabbing the race lead in the Giro in May.
“I am really excited to go for the pink jersey on the first day of the Giro d’Italia,” he said in a video interview. “I think it is an 8.7 kilometre time trial to start it off in Denmark – it is flat with a bunch of turns, so it is my thing. To be able to go for the pink jersey in a race that is my speciality is really going to be a huge goal for me. Then to make it to the final time trial is the second goal…I really want that pink jersey on that first day.”
Phinney lives in Italy and also spent time there as a child. He notes that despite that, he has never actually raced in the country. That’s something he is keen to change in 2012. “I am really excited to do the Giro. I am hoping I can make it all the way through. With an initial time trial on the first day, it is a really exciting start for me, and will be a big goal this season.”
The three week race also concludes with a race against the clock, and so if he can make it to the final stage in Milan, he has a chance to test himself over the 31.5 kilometre test there and see what he has left in the tank.
Phinney recently donated $25,000 to his father’s foundation and is hoping to encourage others to do the same. “My dad has had Parkinson’s disease for twelve years now. He lives really well with it and has a foundation called the Davis Phinney Foundation,” he explained. “Since now, I have never really been involved with it, I’ve never got involved with it, and I just figured the time is now.
“I make enough money that I can really help out and encourage others to help out over the public forum like Twitter and Facebook. The team also does a really good job with what we are doing and what we are trying to accomplish with the foundation.”
In addition to talking about his Giro goals and also his time at the recent team training camp, Phinney also speaks about how others can contribute to his initiative, including via the foundation page on Davidphinney.org.
Click on the image below to see the video; clip is courtesy of the BMC Racing Team.