Haussler back to winning ahead of Tour

Heinrich Haussler is back at the top after a month and a half racing break with a win in GP Triberg last Saturday. The Cervélo TestTeam rider, runner-up in Milano-Sanremo and Ronde van Vlaanderen this spring, now aims for the Tour de France.

"I see myself going for the sprints and I could also see myself winning the green jersey. I know my form is good now, I know it is going to get better," Haussler told Cyclingnews.

Haussler should be one of the nine men in the Swiss team to race the Tour de France, July 4 to 26. He will race alongside defending champion Carlo Sastre and 2005 points classification (green jersey) winner, Thor Hushovd.

"Carlos could have the yellow jersey; you never know what situation the team will be in. It all depends on what the sport directors want me to do."

Cervélo's sports directors may decide to have their 25-year-old go for stage wins and the green jersey based on his season's results and current form. Haussler won twice in the spring, including a stage at Paris-Nice, and then had a string of top finishes in the Classics.

Haussler's racing break was well timed. He placed second in two stages of the Bayern Rundfahrt, second in Neuseen Classics, won Saturday's GP Triberg and took third in Sunday's GP Kanton Aargau - a month before the Tour de France.

"I had really good time off the bike. I had 12 days of complete stop during the holidays. When I came back I hit my left knee on the handlebars in my first training ride. It was swollen and I had to take another 10 days off. I was thinking, 'sh*t, I have had too much time off the bike,' but it worked out well.

"I know the people were thinking that I had a good spring and that is it, but I have already come back strong. That race I won on Saturday was a really hard race, tough conditions and lots of climbs."

Haussler has raced two editions of the Tour de France, 2007 and 2008. He finished 22nd in the points competition last year.

He has two more races prior to the Tour: Tour de Suisse, tomorrow through June 21, and he will help his two teammates at the German Championships, June 28.