Sorensen willing to skip Giro d'Italia for Tour de France

With the Giro d'Italia starting in Denmark in 2012, it is a natural magnet for Danish riders. Nicki Sorensen would like to ride it, too, but he is wiling to pass it up in favour of the Tour de France, where he wants to help Saxo Bank teammate Alberto Contador again claim the title.

“As I see it, it is very difficult – if not impossible – to ride a good Giro and a good Tour,” he told feltet.dk.  “Matto Tossato did well this year, but most people looking to try it, things go damn bad in the Tour.

“I also know from experience that it is not much fun to be at the start of the Tour if you are not 100 percent prepared for it.”

And the Tour is his major goal. “I'd love to ride the Tour again. Especially because I'd like to try to win it with Alberto, who will be really great. So it is surely the season's big goal.”

Since the team will be focussed on supporting Contador, “the team that rides the Tour de France needs to ride together a lot before the Tour.  This will help the team ride together and so avoid errors in the Tour.  The riders get to know each other much beer and you know exactly how to respond in difficult situations. "

The 36-year-old rode both the Tour and the Vuelta a Espana this year.