Belohvosciks: Simoni's guardian angel

By Jean-François Quénet in Scarperia

After two seasons in the shadow racing for continental team Universal Caffè, Raivis Belohvosciks looks happy to be back at the highest level of professional cycling. Aged 31, he's employed as a domestique by Saunier Duval and he loves it.

"Every day, I have my face in the wind from start to finish with Gilberto Simoni protected behind me," said Belohvosciks on the start line at Spoleto.

"We have three of the best climbers with Simoni, Riccardo Riccó, and Leonardo Piepoli; hopefully there'll be different cards to play in the mountains," he added. "I think we can still win the Giro. The differences aren't that big, considering the difficulties to come."

The Latvian is known as a hard worker and also as a specialist for time trialing. He won the Chrono des Nations in France in October last year. "When my job will be finished at the end of the mountains, if I still have some energy to spend, I'll do my best in Verona's time trial, I know everything about the course, I'd like to do well there," concluded Belohvosciks.