Alongside Marcel Kittel, André Greipel (Lotto-Belisol) is currently the strongest German sprinter. To keep it that way, he will not change anything in his pre-season preparations this winter. This season, the native of Rostock was able to achieve fourteen successes and improve his palmarès to a total of 93 professional victories. He recorded his first win of the season in Australia, where he will be racing again next year.
"Of course, the Tour de France is again in focus for me in 2014."
The Santos Tour Down Under plays an important role for Greipel. In 2008 he achieved his big international breakthrough with overall victory. In the meantime he was able to celebrate another overall victory in Australia and is also the most successful stage hunter of this tour with 14 day successes. So it's understandable why Gorilla, as he is called by his colleagues, in his preparation "not much [would like]", as he announced on his website. “The program from last year has proven to be very solid and effective”, Greipel continues.
Although further race planning is not yet certain, Greipel will discuss this with the team management in the first training camp by December 8th at the latest. Already tomorrow he will leave for training in Portugal. Three weeks of training in the cold, which he now has in his legs again after the season break, is enough: "[I] I say goodbye to Portugal for a few days – a sort of escape from the cold temperatures”, Greipel gave an insight into his immediate plans. What are these about in the long run? Of course, the three-week cycling festival in France: “Of course, the Tour de France is my focus again. But anyone who knows me also knows that I want to do a good job at every race, both for myself and for the team,” concluded Greipel.