Video: Stuart O'Grady in the week of the Tour of Flanders
GreenEdge veteran feeling the benefit of a busy race schedule
Stuart O'Grady (GreenEdge) managed to avoid racing the Three Days of De Panne for the last 18 years of his prestigious career – until now.
The 38-year-old spoke to Cyclingnews before the start of Stage 1 of the Belgian race where GreenEdge began the day a man down with Jens Mouris ruled out with bone bruising.
"I can't complain, everything's going to plan so far this season, everything's progressing pretty well," O'Grady said as he builds towards Sunday's Tour of Flanders.
Having spent nearly 100 days racing in 2011, this season is unlikely to be much different – something the Paris-Roubaix winner says is both a symptom and a benefit of being competitive at his age.
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Barry Ryan is Head of Features at Cyclingnews. He has covered professional cycling since 2010, reporting from the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and events from Argentina to Japan. His writing has appeared in The Independent, Procycling and Cycling Plus. He is the author of The Ascent: Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche and the Rise of Irish Cycling’s Golden Generation, published by Gill Books.