Sastre ready to fight

Carlos Sastre, 2008 Tour de France winner, will be taking to the start of the Giro d'Italia and aiming for another Grand Tour victory. The Cervélo Test Team leader is ready to assume his role as a team leader, as a spot on the Giro podium is still lacking on his long list of achievements.

"The Giro podium is the only one that I still lack from the three Grand Tours," said Sastre, who is the rider with the most top ten placings in stage races in the peloton at the moment. "Every time I raced it I had to work for other riders, and this year I can finally compete for myself."

Sastre will focus on the Giro before turning his attention to the defence of his Tour de France title in July. "When I have an objective coming up, I only think about this one. The Giro d'Italia is my first important objective of this season, and I will race in it to fight for everything I can."

The 2009 route appeals to the Spaniard. "In the first week we have two stages in the Dolomites, and although they aren't excessively hard, it's important not to lose any time there because you might pay for that later on. So you need to be at the start in really good shape. Maybe not at a 100 per cent, but close to that. "