Matti Breschel (Team Saxo Bank) approaches the podium to receive the white jersey for best placed U25 rider on GC. (Image credit: Stephen McMahon)
Twelve months ago, Matti Breschel surprised with a third place in the World Championships. The Danish rider sprinted in as part of a small group which crossed the line three seconds behind winner Alessandro Ballan (Italy).
"If I can find the legs of last year, it should be good," he told Cyclingnews. "I hope to go for a medal again, otherwise Jacob Fuglsang is showing he is ready and we have Chris Anker [Sørensen] as well."
It was the best result of his career and one which has acted as a motivation for him in the run up to this year's race in Mendrisio, Switzerland.
This year has been a good one for Breschel, with victories in stages of the Tour of Denmark, Tour de Luxembourg and Tour de Suisse and Volta a Catalunya. He also won the Danish road race championships, netted sixth in the Tour of Flanders and 10th in Paris-Roubaix.
His plan has been to build on that consistent form by riding the Tour of Ireland, where he was third overall, and then the Vuelta a España.
Breschel won the final stage of last year's Vuelta in Madrid and will be motivated to try again this year. He was on the attack two days ago on the stage to Ávila but couldn't match the pace of Philip Deignan (Cervélo Test Team) and Roman Kreuziger (Liquigas) on the climbs.
"Normally the parcours should have been okay for me but I was sick with a cough for a couple of days and I had a crash two days ago," he said on Friday.
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"Hopefully one week is enough to rest and then I'll be 100% for the Worlds."
