Many of the big names from recent Tours were in attendance at yesterday’s presentation of the 2010 race route in Paris, with absentees such as world champion Cadel Evans and this year’s fourth-placed rider Bradley Wiggins only missing out due to racing commitments.
2008 victor Carlos Sastre has not competed in several months, though, yet was not present at the launch. The Spaniard was off-form during this year’s race and appears non-committal about taking part in 2010.
“At present I have not decided what I races I will do next year,” he said. “Until I know the route of the Tour of Spain, I don’t want to commit to any event. I think this weekend we will know the details of the Tour of Italy and when we have all the details [of the various Grand Tours] it will be the moment then to take stock and decide which of them is going to be the key target in 2010 “.
Sastre shone in this year’s Giro, taking two stage victories and finishing fourth overall, 3’46 behind Denis Menchov (Rabobank). That placing will be upgraded to third if Danilo Di Luca’s doping positive is confirmed. He’s previously been second and third in the Vuelta a España and could conceivably set his sights on the Giro if he feels that the Tour de France will be too difficult to win again.
When on form, Sastre is one of the best climbers in the bunch but would be hard pushed to match Alberto Contador on the mountains. He’s clearly not as quick as his compatriot in the time trials, and so it is hard to see how he could beat the younger rider.
The Cervélo Test Team were represented yesterday by two riders who both took stage wins in this year’s race. Sastre explained why he wasn’t there. “My absence is due mainly to two riders on the team that were excited to attend the event, as was the case with Thor Hushovd, who has done a great Tour de France, and Heinrich Hausssler,” he said. “As I’ve already been to the presentation in other years, I decided to forgo it because I wanted to be home and relax a bit away from cycling events.”
However he followed the presentation on the internet and feels that the course could suit his characteristics. “I could see the route of the Tour and the comments of many of my opponents. I think it’s a hard Tour, harder than this year, and this time favouring the non-time triallists. In other words, the climbers like me.”