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Popovych and Demol glad to be back, as Contador proves fastest in first race of the season.
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You can tell that Yaroslav Popovych is glad to be back.
He strolled out of the Hotel Las Madregueras in Tenerife ahead of Saturday’s penultimate training spin at Astana’s pre-season camp and he was smiling.
On Friday, he spent a lot of time on the front alongside Lance Armstrong as the squad took in a four and a half hour spin, with over 10,000 feet of climbing through the rugged lava rock landscaped mountains. Although he still has to wear his Silence-Lotto colors until next year, it’s like he has never been away.
“To come back here for next season, it’s like being back in a happy family,” said Popovych as he enjoyed the morning sun of Tenerife. “I stayed here for three years, three very good years, where we won the Tour. Now I’m coming back and Lance is coming back. It’s great”.
Last year, Popovych rode for the Belgian Silence Lotto team under the leadership of Cadel Evans, second in this year’s Tour De France. Both he and Popovych’s former leader are Anglophones, but “Popo” said that’s where the similarities end.
“Everybody who does their work well is professional. Lance is the same, no more. They are very different people,” said the Ukranian strongman. “Their mentality is different. Cadel is Australian, Lance is American. They have a different mentality. Everything is different. In this team we have a lot of joking, a lot of fun.
“Also, it’s different to do stuff that doesn’t involve the bicycle,” he says referring to the previous nights Karting experience in Tenerife. “It’s very good for the head.”
Although Armstrong couldn’t make the trip due to a phone conference with his Livestrong charity, Popvych was in no doubt as to whom among the team was the best driver. “Alberto!” he said without hesitation. “Contador is very fast.”
Popovych said its remarkable to be on a team that enters all three grand tours with the odds-on favorites to win.
“Normally with riders like Alberto, Lance, me, Klöden, Leipheimer … I think it is a big team, very strong. We will see what we do in the first races and then after we will see about the Giro and the Tour.”
Another man who was happy to see the return of Popovych was Belgian directeur sportif Dirk Demol.
“The day that Johan called me and told me there was a chance he would leave Lotto, that he called Johan to see if he could come back, I was really happy,” said Demol. “I know Popo a long time. I saw him winning … I can’t remember exactly, but I think it was Paris-Roubaix for espoirs. I went to see Tom Boonen that day. Boonen finished third and since that day, I’ve been a fan of Popovych because he can ride a bike”.
Demol also praised the Ukranian’s selflessness and tireless work for his leader on the road.
“Having him on the team means we have a big warrior. You can go to war with him. Popo is always a great teammate. Whatever we ask of him, he always gives his best, gives his maximum. He’s a good guy”.
Demol too, is glad to back in the Astana fold, among many former colleagues.
“It feels like being back in a family again for me too," said the 1988 Paris-Roubaix winner. "I’ve been away for a year. I was with Quickstep, but after a few months, I already found out that it wasn’t for me. It wasn’t my thing there, and also, I got a chance from Johan, and I have to thank Johan for that. He took me back and it’s the same thing as Popvych, I feel back home, in the family.”
Although Demol also attended the team’s Karting session the night before, he didn’t compete.
“I didn’t drive the kart because I have a bit of back trouble, but there was a lot of competition. It was a very high level,” he said with a smile. “You could see Contador is a winner. He was aggressive! He only passed Zubeldia on the last corner.
“He had to chase from fifth or sixth position and we could see him coming closer, meter by meter, and on the very last corner, he took him. I mean, when he crossed the line, he was in the car like this,” Demol said, throwing both arms in the air.
“It was like he won a big, big race,” he said. “But that’s the instinct and mentality of him, and of this team.”
