Although the 2011 season was fraught with setbacks, Swiss cycling star Fabian Cancellara of the RadioShack-Nissan team is gearing up to reclaim his glory in the new year. But heading into the spring classics, his preparations remain unchanged from previous years.
"I’m doing the same things as before," Cancellara said. "Last year, the only thing I lacked was luck—and luck is the most important thing."
On the eve of the 2011 cobblestone classics, Cancellara scored a major victory at the E3 Prijs Vlaanderen-Harelbeke, briefly riding high. But afterward, he consistently fell just short of the win, ultimately finishing as the runner-up at Milan-San Remo, third at the Tour of Flanders, and second at Paris-Roubaix in the spring classics. Meanwhile, last year saw the announcement of the merger between Team Trek and RadioShack, forming the new super-team RadioShack-Nissan, which should offer Cancellara more support in this year’s classics. The downside, however, is that his long-time teammate George Hincapie has moved to Australia’s GreenEdge team. Cancellara admitted he misses his former teammate.
"It will feel strange competing against him on the road—he said the same to me—but I know I still have to keep fighting and give it my all."
At the 2011 Tour de France, German rider Tony Martin beat the “Superman” Cancellara to win the time trial stage, stunning spectators. Later that year, at the UCI Road World Championships time trial in Copenhagen, Cancellara also finished third, trailing Martin by 1:20.59—a major shock.
Cancellara does not deny that his dominance in time trials has been shaken.
"It’s easier to catch up. But when you’ve been at the top for too long, it becomes harder to perform at your best."
Cancellara admitted he hadn’t pushed himself hard enough over the past two years. "If you don’t push, someone will eventually surpass you. Now I’ve been surpassed, and I want to fight back."
The rivalry between him and Martin in the 2012 season will be a major focus, but Cancellara insists his primary concern is ensuring his time trial form returns to its former level. "I don’t see it as a personal battle with him. I see it as a challenge to myself, because I know what I need to do."
Alongside British rider Bradley Wiggins, Cancellara is seen as a gold medal favorite in the time trial at the London Olympics in August 2012. He scouted the course last November and noted that time trial performance depends heavily on weather and wind conditions. He called it a tough race. "Because the course is 45 kilometers long, starting in one place and finishing in another—not a loop like the road world championships—this kind of time trial is always difficult."
