Inside the Mind of Tom Danielson
Cathy Mehl: Tom, let’s look back at your season so far, starting in February. You raced Tour of California first. How did you think that turned out?
Tom Danielson: Yeah, California was the first race I did and for me it was an objective to do well there. It always excites me to race well in America and it was also a big objective of our team. I arrived at the race in good condition and I was hoping to do a good overall and to help Levi win the race. Everything went well for me except for one stage and that happened to be the stage that went uphill (Stage into San Jose). I had food poisoning or a virus, whatever. It was everything I could do to get to the finish line. The rest of the race was awesome. Stage Six (Santa Barbara to Santa Clarita) was such a battle and I was really happy with my performance. So the one bad day knocked me out of contention of course, but I got through it. This is cycling; some times you have bad days.
Then it was time to head to Europe, right?
Right. The next race for me was Paris-Nice and that was a big objective for the team with Alberto Contador. He had proved that his form was good so there wasn’t any confusion as to what we were doing in that race. With the climbs being so short it was perfect for Contador, rather than those of use who need the longer climbs. He’s a short burst of speed. We had a fantastic team. Almost the entire team could have finished in the top ten overall. But we all sacrificed our own personal objectives to win the race and it wasn’t easy; Rebillin was so strong. He way we raced the race is something I’ll always remember. All of us put in so much effort and for me personally it was one of my best performances. And as someone who likes to race for the overall I found it extremely satisfying to have Contador win the race.
I felt like I grew a lot as a racer. Last time I rode Paris-Nice I was just in the peloton, riding in the second or third group. But this time I rode in the front which is much, much harder. It was a lot of fun. Some people just look at results to tell if you’re improving but I think to ride like that shows I’ve grown a lot. After that race I said to myself I am going to do some good things this year once I get to some races I can focus on.
The team was certainly racking up some wins in the early season. You headed for Spain after that?
Yep, next was Castilla y Leon. We were planning to use it as a training race but Contador decided he wanted to go for the win since it was only a week after Paris-Nice and he was feeling good. So again the same thing happened: I ended up working at the end of the race and my form was much better than the other races. It was a much more fun and relaxed race and I think the entire team enjoyed it.
Next was Tour of Georgia which was always an objective of mine, but half way through the race things went another direction. So for me I had to deal with things changing. I was quickly able to change my objectives to seeing the team win with Jani. Suddenly there was a lot less pressure for me too.
It also was taken from your hands—you didn’t have any choice in the matter since it was the reaction, or should we say lack of reaction, from the peloton that created the unusual time gains on Stage Three into Chattanooga (when the breakaway gained 30 minutes on the peloton).
Right. It wasn’t like getting dropped or not being ready. My initial reaction during that stage felt a little like getting dumped by your girlfriend. You know, you wake up one morning and you think you’re still together, but then in the next second you recall what really happened. But I came terms with it. I would have liked to win that race but it was another chance for me to grow up as a racer and to look at other opportunities in bigger races, like the Dauphine.
In hind site I can look back and see that it was a perfect opportunity for Jani. He came to Georgia not really focused on that race and all of a sudden he was thrown into the lead position that he didn’t really expect. I was impressed how he was able to quickly change modes and get into the race and win the overall. That was fun to see.
And it really introduced him to the American public. With Jani mostly racing in Europe it would have taken much longer for his name to become more familiar to US cycling fans.
Exactly. Now when I look back at it I think that was a great race.
I always liked how he would answer questions with a tone that sounded a little shocked and surprised, but also very confident.
Yep, that’s Jani.
So what’s up next, Tom?
I just completed the Tour of Belgium and next is the Dauphine. I was supposed to race in Catalunya and was looking forward to that, but I got sick so had to revise things a bit. I’d never done Belgium before and it was perfect for getting ready for the Dauphine. Basically racing in Belgium represents all of my weaknesses, so what better way to make sure that I am growing as a rider? There was a TT and I got third in that and it was great working as a team to get the win for Gusev.
Like winning a stage in a Grand Tour was a big deal for me (Vuelta Espana 2006, Stage 17), I think the next step is to win a Pro Tour stage race. I am going to target the Dauphine and try to do well in the overall. I live near the course and I know all of the climbs and the roads pretty well. At the Dauphine there will be some big names riding and I hope to be able to show that I have truly taken my cycling up a level. I’ll be riding with the big boys.
You hope to ride your first Tour in July?
Yes, yes, I hope. You never know until closer to the time, but that is my goal. It has been a goal this entire year. I’ve shown that I can be a good team rider and rise to the occasion on the individual side. So I hope to be okay for that race but right now I am going to concentrate on my next race.
What is your relationship like with Levi since you more than likely will be riding for him at the Tour if you are selected for the team?
Levi has a good history at the Tour de France and has shown remarkable form all year long. I think we all have a lot of confidence in him and we think he’ll make a great contender for the Tour this year. Obviously all of us are excited to help him and to see how far he can get with a proper team around him. I think he will really turn some heads at the Tour.
