Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha), the winner of the International Cycling Union (UCI) World Ranking in 2010, has begun to train for next season. The 31-year-old Spaniard aims to repeat last season’s achievement and so his preparation for 2011 must begin now.
"The holidays are over and the races of 2010 are forgotten,” said the Catalan rider, “a year that is hard for me to forget and above all it will be hard for me to beat. But now I’m working every day, which means that in fact this year has already begun."
Rodriguez has been doing light training for the last three weeks, combining mountainbiking with football (soccer), gym work and hiking; now, for “Purito” is when the real work begins.
"So far it has been light, but as of this moment is when I have to use a few extra batteries, especially with the road bike," he said; on Sunday Rodriguez participated in the Criterium Ciutat de L'Hospitalet, where he finished second behind Cervélo’s Xavier Tondo.
Rodriguez began his 2010 season in early February at the Trofeo Mallorca, but didn’t start hitting his top form until March and Paris-Nice. He finished in sixth place behind Alberto Contador, but at the end of the month he won the Volta a Catalunya, his home tour.
While his list of victories in the year is not a long one, Rodriguez’ success in the World Ranking owes itself to his consistency throughout the year, taking high placings in many of the year’s biggest races. He finished eighth in the Tour de France, where he also won a stage, and confirmed his ranking victory with fourth place in the Vuelta a España, where he also won a stage and wore the leader’s jersey twice.