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Freire ready to take on Vuelta and Worlds

By Susan Westemeyer

published 23 August 2010

Spaniard recovering well from sinus surgery

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Oscar Freire (Rabobank) talk to Europsort(Image credit: Stephen Farrand)

Former Gent-Wevelgem winner Oscar Freire was looking to maintain the form that saw him win a third Milan-San Remo last weekend.(Image credit: Bert Geerts/dcp-bertgeerts@xs4all.nl)

Oscar Freire pumps his fists at the finish(Image credit: Sirotti)

Oscar Freire (Rabobank) has recovered from sinus surgery and is looking forward to the Vuelta a España and the World Championships in Melbourne.

Freire to undergo nose surgery next week

Freire undergoes successful surgery

Updated: UCI announces qualified countries for road worlds

In an interview with the Spanish website AS.com, Freire said he started training 10 days ago and won't be in perfect condition for the Vuelta, “But I don't mind. Every day I feel better and I hope to breathe normally when the Vuelta starts.”

The three-time former world champion will look for stage wins, although he knows that “in the first week I won't be able to dispute the sprints.”

Normally Freire would not finish the Vuelta so he can arrive at the World Championships in prime condition, but that may change this year. “This time there are two weeks between the end of the Vuelta and the Worlds. I might end the race. Everything depends on how my development goes,” he said.

Freire expects to be the Spanish captain at the World Championships in Melbourne. “The times that the team has ridden for me at Worlds, I have always responded well,” he noted. “I am not infallible. But on a course like this, which is good for me, if I am going well and that gives me the confidence, I think I can respond. I hope the Worlds team will gamble on me.”