André Greipel (Team High Road) celebrates his first, but not last, victory in Australia in 2008 (Image credit: Mark Gunter)
André Greipel answered fans' questions in a live chat on the Team High Road fan web site. The German sprinter, currently leading the ProTour, had a great start to the season, winning four stages of the Tour Down Under and taking the overall victory.
He is seeing his success in Australia a bit undervalued, stating that there was quite a competitive field at the start. "I think it's a pity that the race is made so small. There was a strong field and we clearly were the best." Greipel explained his good results in sunny Australia with staying injury-free over the winter.
He also emphasized that from the wattage numbers, he is the fastest High Road sprinter. After a little break following the race Down Under, he will go back to action in Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne. A start at Het Volk on Saturday is still being discussed, but he will be working for the team in the classics races. His next shot to show off his sprinting capabilities will be in Paris-Nice, which runs from March 9 through 16. After that, he races Rund um Köln on home turf.
For him, it would be "a dream" to go to the Tour de France this year. He acknowledged that at the moment "it isn't easy for riders and fans. In Germany there are fewer and fewer stage races and that's not easy for the smaller teams," Greipel was aware of the far-reaching implications that the doping discussion has had in Germany.
As for the future in the team, he is hoping to sign a new contract soon. "I am very happy at High Road. Let's see what the management says. Three or four sprinters are almost too many."
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