Dekker aiming to defend title

By Shane Stokes

Promising 22 year-old Thomas Dekker surprised many when he won Tirreno-Adriatico last year. The motivated Rabobank rider has said that he will target that race once more, as well as setting other goals for later this season.

"I want to win again. That is for sure," he told Cyclingnews on Thursday morning, just before the start of the final stage of the Challenge Volta Ciclista a Mallorca. "There is again a time trial of 20 kilometres and a half stage with a uphill finish. We will have a really good team there with Oscar Freire, Michael Boogerd and other strong riders. I hope we can do well and go for the classification once again."

Dekker won the third stage of the Majorcan race this week and this shows he is already in good shape. "I spent a long time not racing and when you can win your second race [he skipped the first stage], it is good for your morale. I am really pleased, I didn't expect this [so soon]. But I had a good winter, I was not ill and I am really happy about this performance."

Despite his young age, he is hoping to ride well in big events. "This year, the most important races for me are Tirreno at the beginning of the year, and then Amstel and Liège-Bastogne-Liège. After that, I want to prepare for the Tour de France. I should get to ride it this year."

After a very strong under 23 career, the Dutch rider showed his considerable talent in 2005. He won a stage and placed second overall in Criterium International, took the national time trial championships, won a stage and was third overall in the Tour of Poland, and also placed fourth in the Eneco Tour and sixth in the Tour of the Mediterranean.

However, apart from his Tirreno-Adriatico victory last season, his results were not as good in 2006. "I wasn't happy with the season," he said. "I had a really good start but then I got a virus before the Tour and I broke my hand in the Tour of Pologne. It was not a good season, but that is why I'm happy that I have already been able to win my second race."