Fit again Gutierrez looking to bounce back in 2012

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After confessing that 2011 was the worst year of his career, Spain’s Ivan Gutierrez is looking ahead to a fresh start in 2012. He has finally gotten to the bottom of an illness that took a huge toll on his season. Gutierrez, who will be 33 at the end of the month, will be continuing with Movistar Team and is looking to bounce back in style.

“2011 was, for sure, my worst season,” he said. “I was feeling bad both physically and mentally during the biggest parts of the season and this didn’t allow me to obtain the results I wanted.

“The medical tests that I had in September have explained what was happening to my body, and I now have a solution to feel well again. I am suffering from coeliac disease, which means that I’ll now have to follow a gluten-free diet. Now that I have eliminated oats and wheat, I feel perfectly well again.

“To know why I was not able to get good results in 2011 is very important. Now that I have a solution, I feel very motivated when considering next season. I want to win a stage race as soon as possible, to come back to my best level in time trials, help my team in the Tour and enter the national team for the London Olympic Games.”