Colombian cyclist Leonardo Duque of the Cofidis team has said he aims to win at least one stage in this year’s Tour de France.
The Colombian Cofidis rider this year plans to be more strategic and less aggressive in order to win one of this year’s 21 stages.
In 2009, Duque was honored for being the most aggressive rider in the Tour’s 19th stage, but has so far failed to win; he was caught by the peleton before the finish after every escape.
This time, Duque’s strategy will not be a solo run, but to strategically choose joining the escape of small groups to outride his competitors later in the stage, he told newspaper El Tiempo.
“I will have to be in the escapes to contest the stage. The sprints are possible, but difficult to win. An escape that gets me to the end will be ideal.”
After this one, Duque is secured to ride with the Cofidis team in the 2012 tour de France, but aims to up his profile in the tour that starts Saturday.
“I have come to my third Tour. I will try to win a stage, to show myself on the road. The ideal is to have a jersey for a few days. This could be one of my other goals,” the cyclist said.