Polish rider still looking for big pro win
Jaroslaw Marycz has just completed his second season in the professional ranks with SaxoBank-SunGard. The Pole lists helping Nick Nuyens win Tour of Flanders this year and making his debut in the Vuelta a Espana, as some of his greatest achievements with the team.
“My second year with Saxo Bank-SunGard has been a successful one. I kept developing myself. I have improved a lot and become stronger simply by riding bigger races. I’ve a had a great race program doing big races such as Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix and Tour de Swiss and gained important experience and build up stamina,” he said.
“But I’m especially proud of my Grand Tour debut in the Vuelta a Espana. I’ve been away in numerous breakaways during the season and a lot of times I’ve practically been caught on the finish line. But that’s how cycling is. I’ll never stop trying. If you stop trying, you’ll never win and I really want that victory. No one would have thought that (Thomas) Voeckler would last that long in the mountains wearing the yellow jersey [in the Tour de France) but he kept fighting and he’s one of the biggest surprises of the season.”
Marycz also supports the belief that cycling has changed saying racing is more unpredictable and competition is tougher. He will head into the 2012 season looking to pick up a victory for the team. His last win came in 2010 when he won the national individual time trial championships ahead of Liquigas-Cannondale’s Maciej Bodnar.
“From the first team building session in 2009, I’ve been very happy to be at Saxo Bank-SunGard and I’m looking forward to another great season with the team in 2012. Hopefully, I’ll take my first pro victory but most importantly, I hope the best for the team and that we’ll succeed overall.
For the meantime, the 24 year old is spending the off-season with is girlfriend and baby son. He also joked about practicing his swimming ability in preparation for team owner Bjarne Riis’ infamous survival camps.
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