October 3, 2005

 

Having won fourth place in yesterday's Zuri Metzgete race, Danilo Di Luca has unofficially won the first UCI Pro Tour competition. We wanted to find out what's on his mind...

 

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Taking fourth yesterday in Zurich, you're now virtual winner of the Pro Tour. Your thoughts?

 

It has been a terrible race, the toughest one of my life. The weather conditions were frightful but it's been worth it: at last the Pro Tour is mine!

 

Do you have a special dedication?

 

I dedicate this win to the people that stayed at my side last year, in the most difficult period of my life. Above all my wife, Valentina.

 

What have been the determining factors in this success?

 

The regularity during the season has had a great importance: I won the Vuelta al Pais Vasco, the Amstel Gold Race and the Flèche Wallonne; I raced as a protagonist the Giro d’Italia taking fourth and now, in October, I'm still with the best riders. Behind me in the Pro Tour ranking there are great champions that, on the contrary, preferred to aim at specific goals limited to a particular period. Or athletes, like Boonen, very regular but not present in the tours' overall rankings.

 

Is there any picture from the year that you'd like to frame?

 

An enormous poster of the whole Giro d’Italia.

 

As the best rider in the first Pro Tour, how do you respond to calls to modify the rules of this challenge? Do you have any changes to suggest?

 

The structure is all right. I would only increase points to stage winners: 3 points for a stage win in a great tour or only one for the win at the Vuelta al Pais Vasco is really few...

 

Talking about score, you don't need points at stake in the Paris-Tours and Giro di Lombardia by now: will you miss one of these races?

 

No, I won't. I can't do without the Lombardia: I won this charming race in 2001. Moreover the Pro Tour's victory is an advantage for me: I can race the "Classic of the dead leaves" concentrating on the day's victory. Of course the Paris-Tours doesn't suit me as well as the Lombardia does, but I believe the Pro Tour leader can't do without racing such a prestigious race in front of such a passionate public like the French.

 

Who will be the next Pro Tour winner?

 

It's difficult to say: surely the winner will be a regular rider in the whole season. One day races' protagonists are favored.

 

And what about Di Luca?

 

I've fought with all my strength for conquering this edition of the Pro Tour, the first one. Now I have other purposes: however if the second white jersey is within reach, I will try not to let the opportunity slip, of course. But it isn't one of my main goals: in 2006 I will aim at the Giro d'Italia and World Championships.

 

So you have new goals. Also your training will change?

 

Not at all: I will do the same as this year, starting from the long high ground training in the month of January. Only I won't force in April's races.

 

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