Bozic sprints into new season, new team
Astana | January 17, 2012
Borut Bozic began his season with new team Astana at the Tour Down Under in Adelaide, Australia, this week. After racing for Dutch team Vacansoleil, he sprints in Kazakhstan's blue colours.
"It's great to be starting with a new team, it's a big difference for me after three years with Vacansoleil," explained the Slovenian sprinter. "I've made the move and I hope it's good for me."
Bozic sprinted to seventh place once and eighth twice at the Tour de France last year. During the French Grand Tour, he met Astana's team manager, Giuseppe Martinelli. The team and Martinelli increased its desire for Bozic, who won a stage of the Vuelta a España in 2009 and a stage in the Tour de Suisse last year.
"I signed quickly," added Bozic, "when the team continued to show its interest."
Bozic had his best year to date in 2009 when he won the Vuelta stage and stages in the Tour of Belgium, Tour of Poland and the Tour du \ in France. He also finished third in the Paris-Tours one-day classic.
Last year and 2010, in comparison, were dry.
"It's already two years that I've not gone as good as before," he explained. "There are many factors that contribute to it; I'm looking forward to putting it past me in this new team. Last year, I was sick in some bad moments, these things make you crazy and you sometimes react wrongly. I made a lot of mistakes last year."
Martinelli scheduled him to race the Tour de France this year with Astana's star rider, Alexander Vinokourov. Bozic will aim for his first ever sprint win, but also lend a hand to the team's other sprinters, like Jacopo Guarnieri, if they are going better.
"If I am good shape and at a good level, it's possible. The Tour is the goal for me, like most of the riders. I'd like to show myself more before then, though, and more than in the years past."
Bozic is racing the Tour Down Under stage race through Sunday, where already he will aim for a win or placings. "Points are very important this season," he said, "including at the Tour Down Under. It's the first WorldTour race, but it's important because all the teams want to get maximum possible points."
After the Tour Down Under, Bozic races Tirreno-Adriatico and the classics.