Cancellara: aiming big

CSC rider Fabian Cancellara is one of the riders tipped for success in the stage 14 time trial this Saturday. Although the 33.2 kilometre test has a third category climb, the powerful Paris-Roubaix winner is recognised as one of those who will be in the final shakeup. He sounded upbeat about both his chances and CSC's general Vuelta campaign when Cyclingnews spoke to him before the start of Thursday's twelfth stage.

"I am feeling okay coming up to the time trial. Yesterday was the worst day I had until now in this Vuelta, but I think that is because we pulled a lot the other day. I think that I have recovered, I feel better today than yesterday and I think that with Carlos in the team, you have got the right atmosphere to go well.

"We have a good team, everything is going strongly, we are happy and there is an all for one, one for all mentality. Everybody is happy because of this and I think the results are coming. When we go to the front everybody is saying 'oh no, it is CSC, what is going to happen?' (laughs)"

Cancellara won the prologue in the 2004 Tour de France and is hoping for another Grand Tour success here. "I will try to get a result in the time trial, but it depends on what happens today and tomorrow. But I am really confident about my chances, I feel well. I think David Millar will also go well, and then of course Vinokorouv. He is also dangerous. You never know in a time trial."

Whatever the result, he has his eye on the bigger picture. "I think for me it is a good test but it is not the most important thing for me before the worlds. My biggest priority is to go better each day and this is the best preparation. I am not going to kill myself - I do a lot of work, but after the stages I am happy, I feel good. I see other teams, other riders, and maybe they are not the same. It is a different type of tiredness….I am tired, but I am happy-tired! We do work, there is a good atmosphere with the team and when you go over the limit one time, it doesn't matter."