Hailing from the former Soviet state of Georgia, Vasilli Davidenko has experienced plenty of changes...
(Image credit: Sirotti)
A cyclist's life - in three acts
Hailing from the former Soviet state of Georgia, Vasilli Davidenko has experienced plenty of changes when it comes to the environment he races in. Moving from Russia to the United States and becoming a father again are two of them, but this hasn't stopped the 35-year-old from enjoying an excellent 2005 so far. Cyclingnews' Steve Medcroft discusses these changes with one of the quickest men on the US domestic racing scene at the moment.
Cyclingnews: After the win at Athens, you've won stages in the Tour of Connecticut and been part of the action at every top US race. You're having an exceptional year. Did you do anything different from years past to prepare?
Vasilli Davidenko: I've done basically everything differently and things am going better than previously. The last two years I had complications; interruptions in my training during the winter. Ever since I moved to the United States, in 1999, I've been working hard to make my life comfortable. This last year, I finally got my family and myself comfortable - we have our house and our first child (almost two years old), and my wife is pregnant again and gave me some really good news before I raced in Athens - that our second baby is a boy. In the past two years, in the winter time, I was doing different jobs, taking care of another business and coaching. I had too many things to take care of. And to me, if I get sick in the winter, if I take antibiotics or I miss some time, then I feel it during the season.
