Dietziker looking forward to homeland Tour de Suisse

Andreas Dietziker is eager to begin his homeland race, the Tour de Suisse, which starts on Sunday. It will be the Team NetApp rider's fourth ride in the race, and he will be looking for his own opportunities.

This race is “for me the season's highlight. Of course it is a special motivation to ride through my homeland where I know the race course so well,” he told Cyclingnews. “And it's always thrilling when you ride along the streets where so many spectators cheer you on.”

The 28-year-old joined NetApp last summer when his previous team Vorarlberg-Corratec was demoted from Professional Continental to Continental status. He is an all-rounder who is especially strong in time trials, with his preferences being for one-day and short stage races.

After three tilts at the Tour de Suisse, Dietziker is still looking for a top result. “You always try to improve. My first goal will be to ride offensively and to be present in breakaway groups. It will be very hard to get a good result in the GC, but I'll try my best to reach a top placing on a stage. But of course to succeed, everything has to fit perfectly together and there's no harm in having a little luck.”

The fifth stage is special to him, since it passes through his hometown of Aadorf. But that stage is expected to end in a mass sprint, which is not for him. “My chances are better in a small breakaway group, so we will see. But of course I'm going to go for my chances whenever there is an opportunity.”

He will, however, be “super motivated” on the fifth stage, as he was when the race went through his hometown in 2009. That was his “best memory of the race so far. There were so many people standing along the course, whole classes of children and everybody was applauding - that was amazing!”