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Fast Freddy: In gear and motoring for McEwen

Published: Jun. 25, 2006
Rodriguez celebrates as he takes third behind McEwen in Stage 13 of last year's Tour
Rodriguez celebrates as he takes third behind McEwen in Stage 13 of last year's Tour
Photo: AFP (file)

Fred Rodriguez will be lining up Saturday in Strasbourg for what will be the sixth Tour de France start of his career.

Since joining Mapei in 1999, the 32-year-old Californian has established himself as one of the top American pros in the European peloton.

His Davitamon-Lotto team might be Belgian in its roots, but its two team leaders – Robbie McEwen and Cadel Evans – are Aussies while Rodriguez and top lieutenant Chris Horner are both Americans.

Rodriguez returns to his role of helping position McEwen in the sprints, but doesn’t discount opportunities for himself. Last year, Rodriguez was third in Stage 13, a mark he’s keen on improving.

VeloNews caught up with Rodriguez ahead of the Tour for a chat about McEwen, Evans and his classics curse. Here are excerpts from the interview:

VeloNews.com: You became ill at the wrong time of the year again, what happened during the classics for you?

Fred Rodriguez: I got sick from my son. I thought I’d be sick for a week, but the body just never bounced around that quickly. I had such good form. It’s the fourth year in a row that it’s happened to me. Sometimes I think I just can’t go well in April, but that’s not true, because I’ve proven that I can. At this point of my career, I know what I am good at. I know I am good at the classics. I’m a fast sprinter. I just need to keep concentrating on what I am good it. If it happens, it happens. I have to wait until next year and life goes on.

VN.com: You seem to keep piling on the second and third places. Is that re-affirming that you’re close or does it become frustrating?

FR: If you’re second, then you’re capable of winning. Getting a second [at Four Days of Dunkirk] when you’re really not fully prepared for the challenge, it reaffirmed that I had to be steady and concentrate on the next big picture, that’s the Tour de France.

VN.com: Will you have the same role leading out Robbie McEwen?

FR: Yes, same role. Every race has a different aspect on how to do a sprint. One the reasons I didn’t go to the Giro to help Robbie is that the Italians have everything under control and Robbie has a good idea on how to just wait and he’s good at following. At the Tour, you get a little more of that amateur thing, with guys who know they cannot win, but getting a top 10 in a stage is a goal, so you get guys who aren’t sprinters getting in there. It takes a lot more effort to get Robbie up there in the right place at the right time.

VN.com: How is it, working for McEwen?

FR: If I can get him in the right place, chances are we’ll win. Robbie has such a snap. I cannot think of any other sprinter in the peloton that has Robbie’s snap and the endurance to be there. Most of the guys that have a snap like Robbie don’t make it to the finale of the race. Maybe Tom Steels in his prime – the rest of us, [Alessandro] Petacchi, [Tom] Boonen, [Thor] Hushovd, myself – we’re more like steady eddie, get the speed and hold it. If you get him into the 200 meters fresh, there’s a good chance he can get around anyone to win. It’s mostly genetic, he’s a faster-twitch guy and he’s just gotten stronger over time.

VN.com: Will you get any chances for yourself in the Tour?

FR: With Robbie, like the stage I got third, he was willing to give up that. It was too close, he had to come around there because it looked like O’Grady was going through, so Robbie came in for the win. I’m on this team to concentrate on the classics, so it’s a shame for me that the classics are over. I have to wait again until next year. Races like Cataluyna, Georgia, California, races that I have a passion for – Plouay, Hamburg – where Robbie’s not there, I have plenty of chances.

VN.com: How will the team work with Cadel Evans going for the GC, will he get some support?

FR: We’re going to split up the team. Cadel has shown he can be a contender in the top five. Unless you’ve proven that, you don’t have to take that much initiative, so we’re going to have a few guys there to help him. [Josep] Jufre [Pou], [Chris] Horner, somebody. Johan [Vansummeren], Mario Aerts, the rest of the guys will be there for Robbie and me.

VN.com: Is the team deep enough to work hard in the first week of the Tour for Robbie and then work for a GC rider in the final half?

FR: The only thing is it probably will be a little negative for Cadel is that we double up his guys to do some pace-making. We’ve shown that we can win in the sprint, we cannot sacrifice that. You just have to balance things as much as you can. If Cadel gets into the yellow jersey, that chances things around.

VN.com: Does the team come in with the green jersey as a goal?

FR: The green jersey just comes with the win, that will be one of our main goals. If Robbie goes well, that’s more of a guarantee of the yellow, but if the yellow is in sight, it’s worth the effort or gamble to go for it.

VN.com: You’re heading back for your sixth Tour, how have things changed since your first one in 2000?

FR: It keeps getting better and better, more efficient, smarter about how to allocate your energy. We have a home here, my wife comes over, my son is here, it’s more like racing at home. You have a better understanding of the culture, the people you work with, and become more efficient over time.

VN.com: The Americans have really carved out a presence here in Europe. Some have suggested the Americans work harder than the Europeans. Do you think that’s true?

FR: It’s kind of the same with the Aussies and the Americans, when we come over, it’s do or die. There’s not a second tier for us. You cannot stay here unless you’re top tier. The people who have made it here have made a huge effort. It’s all about the bike. We’re here to do our jobs. I didn’t buy a house in Spain because I wanted to live in Spain, I bought a house because I wanted to be a bike racer, to do this lifestyle. For some of the Euros, there is a second tier here, probably a little more relaxed. They have other distractions.

VN.com: How is the American attitude different than the Euros’?

FR: The American attitude toward sports is, we try to do well. We’re really aggressive about our goals, maybe even more than we can accomplish sometimes. The Europeans are little more quiet about their expectations. They might feel them internally; the Belgians let the bike do the talking. We try to set it up, we talk about what we want to do — I want to win this, I want to win it, win it, win it. That Superman mentality, we grew up with that Hollywood culture. Why are Americans are so big on the Tour? Why are we so big with the Olympics? That’s what we grow up with.

Coming up Monday: Rodriguez discusses the future of American cycling and what he’s doing to help make it grow — Editor