Barredo looks towards Vuelta and World Championships

Despite winning the Clásica San Sebastián a fortnight ago, Carlos Barredo isn’t resting on his laurels and is targeting a stage win the Vuelta a España, August 29 to September 20, and making the Spanish national team for the worlds.

"You can't live on what you won before, you have to keep looking ahead," Barredo told Cyclingnews.
Barredo was present in all the key moves in the final 15 kilometres of the San Sebastián. He joined Roman Kreuziger in an attack in the final two kilometres and out-sprinted him for the win.

It was Barredo's biggest one-day race win and a boost to his Quick Step team after a less than impressive Tour de France in July.
"San Sebastián was important for the team, we saved ourselves after the Tour de France. We didn't do anything there."

Barredo finished 10th overall in the 2007 Vuelta a España, but he said he is only thinking about a stage win, pointing to stages in the second week that suit him, like Xorret de Cati. He hopes a stage win will ensure he selection for Spain's team at the world championships, September 27.

"If I’m as strong in the Vuelta as I was in the last week of the Tour I won't have a problem making the worlds team," said Barredo. "I have a chance of making the team. There are three fixed spots, Valverde, Samuel Sánchez and Freire, and there are there spots that are semi-secured – me, Joaquím Rodríguez and Gárate."

Spain is one of ten nations to have nine riders due to their rankings as of August 15. The country has won four of the last ten editions and is one of the strongest teams along with Italy.

Barredo said it will be the hardest course in recent years, maybe since Spain's Astarloa won the 2003 edition in Hamilton, Canada. "It is full of climbs and curves, never five kilometres of flat like in the last years."

The circuit has two climbs, Acqua Fresca and Novazzano, in the 13.8-kilometre circuit repeated 19 times.