By Shane Stokes in Luzern
"I am going okay. I am a little too rested at the moment but hopefully after a couple of days of racing the legs will come good," said Predictor-Lotto rider Chris Horner prior to stage two of the Tour de Suisse. "I had two good, solid weeks of training after Romandie… I was down in California, travelling around there and training up near my house. I got in two really good solid weeks, then had a week before this race where I was not doing so much because of travel. I feel really fresh at the moment. Hopefully a couple of days of racing will make the legs better, although sometimes that doesn't work!"
He's got a clear idea of what he wants from the race. "The goal here is to come out of the Tour de Suisse in better condition than I went in, and to be ready for the Tour de France. I assume I have a place on the team. I thought I had it in January but of course you have to get the final nod first, too. I don't think that is going to be a problem, though."
Horner has a pretty good record in the country and if things follow that pattern, he could do something big this week. "Any time I am in Switzerland lately it has been really good for me. Two years ago I won a stage and finished fifth overall here. I have won a stage in Romandie and had the jersey there, then this year I had the lead there again and was fifth overall. Switzerland has always treated me well; I don't know if it is the food, the hotels, the weather, or a mix of everything.
"If I have the legs I will go for something... I wouldn't turn down a result if the opportunity is there. But of course if it is not there, then it is a case of looking after the legs and being good for the Tour."
