Michael Barry heads into the Giro d'Italia determined to continue enjoying what has been a "fun" season so far at Team Sky.
Canadian looking forward to a testing Giro
Michael Barry heads into the Giro d'Italia determined to continue enjoying what's been a "fun" season so far at Team Sky.
The hugely-respected Barry has plenty of experience with forward-thinking teams and this time 12 months ago was part of the Columbia squad which won the opening team time trial at the Giro to put Mark Cavendish in pink.
But what he has seen in his first few months at Team Sky has highlighted another key dimension.
"I've been racing for a long time, but when I look back on my career, I've had as much fun here as I've had anywhere," he told us when we caught up with him during a break in his training in Girona.
"Being with the guys I've had plenty of similar moments to those when I was a junior and I have such fond memories of those times - racing as a kid, a few of the boys together, having fun on their bikes - and that's how it feels now.
"Obviously Columbia and Discovery were on the cutting edge with technology and the way they mapped out their tactics in the races, but it's the way Sky approaches psychological aspects and team-building that is quite different.
"I know in many ways it's similar to what Dave [Brailsford] and Steven [Dr Steven Peters] have done for British Cycling. The team's philosophy is different to others I've been with and that in itself creates a very positive environment. I think that's a pretty big reason why we are all having fun.
"Every cyclist wants to know how they can contribute to the team and how they can be most effective. And when you have constant feedback from the management on what you need to do or what you've done well then you'll have happy riders."
Going to plan
Barry heads into the Giro on the back of some impressive displays at the spring classics and training has gone very much to plan since then.
Reflecting on his last race at Paris-Roubaix, he admitted it was a case of what might have been.
"I felt great on the day but I had a flat tyre at a bad moment and never made it back to the front group, which a shame because I think I had the legs to be there a little bit longer and help [Juan Antonio] Flecha. But punctures are all part of Paris-Roubaix so I guess I can't complain too much.
"I was happy with how the day went and how my fitness was and training has been going really good in the time since then in Girona," added Barry. "Myself and Chris Sutton have been going out together every day as we've had the same race schedule and the same training schedule, so we've been spending a lot of time in the mountains.
"It's what has worked in the past for me - a couple of good weeks of climbing. The adaptation's quite quick but it's very important, it's about feeling comfortable in the mountains and strengthening my back muscles and all of that."
Looking at the race itself, Barry is expecting nothing other than a testing three weeks, though he's not getting too carried away with the route itself, explaining: "The Grand Tours are always incredibly tough. The courses can be challenging but what really matters is how the peloton rides over them.
"A lot of times a stage might look really easy on paper but ends up being incredibly hard. And then sometimes when the route looks really, really hard the peloton tends to be a bit more apprehensive. It just depends on the situation of the peloton and the race dynamic."
Motivation levels high
As well as being happy with his own form heading into the event, Barry believes Team Sky have the squad to really make a mark, saying: "I think the team looks really good. I know Bradley's fitness is great right now and that he's motivated to do some nice rides, especially in the first part of the Giro.
"We have some solid sprinters as well. I'm pretty sure we can win some stages with them. Overall it's quite a similar team to the one Columbia went to the Giro with last year - some quick sprinters and others who can climb really well and do well in the intermediate stages. I think the biggest thing is that we have our tactics sketched out well and a good plan for each day.
"The Giro is on a different level. It's going to be a whole lot of fun. All the riders are excited about it and I hope the fans are too."
