Gilberto approaching Tour de France. He reveals his favorite for theoverall classification, his ambitions, and his “secret weapon”: “I’ve muchmore energy than last year”Q- Gilberto, this year’s Tour is different for you compared tolast year. Then you’d triumphed at the Giro and had clear ambitions todo well in the overall. This year?
A- ”I’m still convinced I’ve got the right characteristics tobe a contender at the Tour. Naturally the experience of last year taughtme a lot and I’m trying to use it all this year”.Q- What are your objectives?
A- ”I’m going to start the race quietly and prudently. I’m goingto wait to see what happens in the team time trial and then day after dayI’ll try and understand what I can do”.Q- At the end of the Giro you pointed out that you were not asmentally tired as last year.
A- ”I can’t deny it and I think it could be an important factorin the final part of the Tour. In the key moments of the race, when thingsget really hard, I think I’ll have something left to give”.Q- Are you happy with your training for the Tour?
A- ”I haven’t race since the Tour except for a few criteriumsand so I can’t really know how well I’m going. However I spent 10 daysin Maloia in Switzerland with my family and I’ve done a very careful finalbuild up for the Tour”Q- Who is your favourite for the Tour?
A- ”Lance Armstrong”Q- And yet many people believe his Tour could be affected bylots of different reasons.
A- ”I know people who saw him training on the Mortirolo andso I think differently. He knows what he wants”Q- And what does Simoni want?
A- ”To be in the action, fight on equal terms with the bestbecause I’ve got the conviction to know that I’m up to it. I’d like toget some results just as I did last year when I won the stage in the Pyrenees,but this year I want to do it without losing sight of the overall classification.”.Q- What’s the most worrying thing about this year’s Tour?
A- ”The heat. If it’s as hot as last year and suddenly hitsthe Tour it could seriously affect the race. So far this year we’ve racedin pretty unusual conditions and a lot of riders would feel a big changein temperature”.Liege June 30, 2004