4th Tour of Britain - Stage 1 Prologue Report
Rider Interviews: Roger Hammond, Martin Pederson, Gordy McCauley, Geraint Thomas and Allan Pieper

Roger Hammond - Post Race Interview

Nick Bull: How did it go today, Roger?

Roger Hammond: Alright, but I don’t know what time I did, so….

NB. Short course for this prologue, did that not help at all?

Roger: No, no, it was a strange old start to a race. I’ve been on the go since 10 o’clock today and, with all the….

NB. …and you’ve only done 2.5km!

Roger: Yeh, and that’s never my cup of tea. I would have preferred a road stage.

NB. You always seem to target a stage or two in this race, any you’ve got you’re eye on this year?

Roger: Erm, no, no, just playing it by ear at the moment. We didn’t know if we were coming until the last minute. We’ll see how it goes from now to be honest.

NB. Mark has got the GC now, will you work for him or are you playing that by ear as well?

Roger: We’ll see how it goes again, but I’m not the man to decide that. But there’s still a long way to Glasgow, a long way to go.

Geraint Thomas - Post Race Interview
Nick Bull: That looked interesting out there today, seems like you did a good ride?

Geraint: Yeh, man, it was short. I’m not sure what time I did, but I had a go.

Geraint Thomas pre-race. Photo c. Nick Bull

NB. It appears you’re in the top ten overall right now. With your aggressive style and your placing, does that set you up for the GC?

Geraint: I don’t know to be fair; I mean tomorrow we’ll have to see if a break goes away. If it comes to a sprint, I’ll be working for Robbie.

NB. Have you done any specific preparation for the race?

Geraint: No, none at all. After the Tour, I raced in Burgos, where Mauricio (Soler) won, and now this.

NB. I’m not sure if you’ve seen the cover of this month’s Cycle Sport, but they’re declaring the UK as the emerging force in Cycling. How does it feel to be part of that?

Geraint: Well, it’s all credit to Dave Brailsford, and what he’s teaching the youngsters.

NB. And obviously the anti-doping stance is encouraging to see, it’s a shame that the UK press, the tabloids in particular, only pick up on the negatives. Obviously, I’m assuming you heard the rumours about Soler’s failed drug test during the Tour?

Geraint: Yeh, it was frustrating. We all knew it wasn’t true, as none of us were tested that day. It just seems there’s someone working against us…..

NB. You’re on home soil, do you feel any extra pressure, or is everyone seemingly looking at Cav?

Geraint: During the Tour, the first few days were manic, but the support was great.

NB. And you’re expecting the same here….?

Geraint: Yeh, for sure.

NB. You’re here next year, along with Robbie, is the Tour looking likely again? Have you heard anything from ASO yet?

Geraint: No, not yet, we’ve just got to hope and see.

NB. Would you like to do it again, even despite how much you suffered?

Geraint: Definitely. The last two weeks were really hard, but it’s the pinnacle.

Gordon McCauley - Pre Race Interview

NB. How are the legs feeling Gordy?

Gordy: I’m feeling good thanks.

NB. Looking at the race route, a lot of the stages are similar to the one dayers on the British Premier Calendar, and obviously you won the last event in Pendle just recently. Are you looking for stage wins as a result?

Gordy: Definitely, you know, the way I look at it, it’s better to win a stage than to come eighth in the GC.

Allan Pieper – Pre Race Interview

NB. Allan, has Grabsch’s Time Trial victory in the Tour of Spain lifted spirits in the camp ?

Allan: No, it didn’t really help that much at all, we’ve always got a positive atmosphere here.

NB. Looking at your start list, T-Mobile are clearly here to make an impact. Despite this, I assume there’s no pressure on Mark, like in the Tour de France?

Allan: Definitely. We just wanted to take it slowly with Mark in July, so the same...

NB. Is he the team-leader for the race?

Allan: He’s here for the sprints mainly. For the GC…that’s why we bought Linus.

NB. And Roger? Is here for the stage win? His record in this Tour is superb.

Allan: Stage wins with him are always possible; if it comes down to a sprint, he’ll be there working for Mark, though we’ll see.

Martin Pederson - Pre Race Interview
NB. How are you enjoying life in England? At least it’s Sunny!

Martin: Yes, it’s nice. Last year, we started in Scotland, it was rain but in London it was sunny!

Martin Pederson Pre-race. Photo c. Nick Bull

NB. After your overall victory last year, do you like racing over in the UK?

Martin: Racing is fine. Training isn’t so ideal, luckily where we’re staying (in Reading, an hour away from London, and the start town of Stage 1) it’s a bit quiet. The roads are ok, I’ve just got to remember to stay on the left!

NB. Do you feel that you’re a marked man after last year’s breakaway, which ultimately gave you the win?

Martin: I think the team will be marked out, for sure, it’s fate. It will be difficult, but if you feel ok…

NB. The season is nearly over for another year. Have you missed your friends and family back in Copenhagen?

Martin: It’s not too difficult, but you always miss people. Luckily where I’m based in Italy, there is a direct flight back home.