Reiterating his comments made earlier about his team-mate and recent Paris-Nice winner Floyd Landis, Axel Merckx is confident that together with his Phonak team, the 30 year-old American can win the Tour de France.
As the team's "Captain de Route" (captain on the road) piloted his team through a challenging Paris-Nice and helped the Californian to achieve his greatest athletic triumph, Merckx said afterwards: "Everything went perfectly. We had no problems to speak of."
Following a hard week of racing, the 33-year-old enjoyed some time off with his wife, four year-old daughter Axana and eight-month old baby Athina. The new member of the Phonak Cycling Team is said to be content, carrying out his duties as Captain de Route without any problems. "Everyone did an excellent job," Merckx said in praise of his team-mates.
The son of arguably the greatest cyclist that ever lived added he enjoys working with Landis: "It's true that it's the first season for us as team-mates. But we've known each other for a long time - we're friends. That makes the work easier. "I'm convinced that Phonak, together with Floyd Landis, can win the Tour de France," he said.
