Juan Antonio Flecha is a man that seems to just keep growing in his sporting career. His triumphs in Zurich and the Giro de Lazio last year prove that's the case, and his stage victory in the 2003 Tour de France is by no means going to be his only one - 'the Arrow' [his surname means 'arrow' in Spanish] is going back for more. His biggest challenges are the classics in Belgium: the Tour de Flanders and Paris-Roubaix take prime positions in his personal calendar.
CyclingnewsHernan Alvarez Macias contacted him at his home in Sitges, Catalonia, in north east Spain, to see how 2005 has treated him so far, and what he thinks his chances are in the year ahead.
Juan Antonio Flecha: Fine, except the last two days when I felt bad. In fact, the last day I had fever and I vomited at night. Today [March 15] I didn't train either. I think I've got a virus, some stomach virus. During the last few days [of Paris-Nice] I felt very bad. I suffered a lot, and on the day of the second stage I felt like vomiting - the same day in the airport I had fever, I was actually physically sick.
