Team Sky rider Ian Boswell set for first Vuelta a Espana

American looking to play a key role as Chris Froome aims to follow up his Tour de France success at the Vuelta a Espana.

Ian Boswell cannot wait to make his Grand Tour debut at the Vuelta a Espana on Saturday, and is looking forward to playing a key role as Chris Froome aims to follow up his Tour de France success for Team Sky.

Boswell's place in the nine-man squad is just reward for some sterling performances this season which have aided the team to victory at the Tours of the Algarve, Trentino and Yorkshire, as well as the Criterium du Dauphine.

The American also claimed a top-10 finish himself at the Tour of California and is delighted to be among a strong team who are set to do battle for the famous red jersey.

We caught up with the 24 year old as he was packing his bags for Spain, and found him in buoyant mood as he gets set to achieve a career milestone in only his third year as a professional:

How happy are you to be riding your first Grand Tour?

Really happy and really excited. Getting selected for the Vuelta was one of the goals I set out to achieve at the start of the season, so it's nice to have done that. It's definitely a positive step for me and now I want to help deliver the results and be a valued member of that team.

What are your thoughts heading into the race?

I'm just excited to take part in a Grand Tour, especially with the team we're sending to Spain. I won't be there just to get my feet wet, we've got a star-studded team with the likes of Chris Froome, Geraint Thomas and Sergio Henao in there, so I'll have to perform. I had a little break after the Dauphine, but have been working hard since then to make the team and make sure I'm prepared for it.

I wouldn't say I'm nervous, but just packing up my bag now, it dawned on me that three weeks is a long time to race. That said, I'm really looking forward to it.

You'll never have ridden anything that long before, will you?

No. Eight-day races like the Tours of Langkawi and California are the longest ones I've ridden so far, so the Vuelta is way over that. It'll be interesting to see how I go and how I respond physically to three weeks of racing. I'm going into it expecting to have some hard times, and I know I'm going to suffer, but in a funny way I'm almost looking forward to that and seeing how I come out of it.

Do you see the call up as reward for the step up in performances you've made this season?

This is my third year as a pro so one of those goals at the start of the season was definitely stepping up. That motivated me and focused me on reaching the standard of rider I wanted to become. I've found my place in the team now and know the training that needs to be done to get up to this level. I struggled with injury during my first two seasons on the team, but that's behind me know and everything's come together this year. It's been a steady progression, but I'm happy it's been noticed, and although it took longer than expected, I'm now at the level I wanted to be a few years ago. It's been an awesome journey and hopefully this is only the beginning.

Do you know what your role in the Vuelta is going to be yet?

That will be finalised once we meet up in Spain, but it'll definitely be in a support role for Chris, Geraint and Sergio. It'll be great to get my first experience of riding a Grand Tour, and we've got a great bunch of guys going there. I was training with Nicolas Roche the other day and he's already said if I have any questions or need any advice to just let him know. That was so nice to hear, especially from someone who'll be riding his 15th Grand Tour. It's such an experienced team so I'll be looking to learn as much as possible and maximise my performance.

It must be great being part of a team that is going all out for the race win as well?

Definitely, and I'm ecstatic to be part of that. I never wanted to go to a Grand Tour to make up the numbers, and I'm looking forward to playing an important role in the team. It's going to be a really competitive race this year and that's really motivated me over the last few months. I'm in the best shape possible as a result, and will be giving it my all.

How do you rate the team's chances of success?

It's hard to say in any Grand Tour, because they're so unpredictable, but if anyone can do the double it's Chris Froome. I'm sure he'll be flying after his Tour de France win and we have a super strong team to support him. Our aim is to bring home the red jersey so and we'll definitely be looking to achieve that.

What are your thoughts on this year's route?

It looks like it's going to be a really nice race. There are a few punchy finishes, and it's going to be particularly hard on the 11th stage in Andorra. That day is only 138km but there's so much climbing and it's one of the hardest days we'll face all year. There's several decisive days and the weather will no-doubt play its part as well.

How do you cope in the hot weather?

I'm fortunate that tend to go well in the heat, so as long as I put my sunscreen on I should be all set and good to go.

Find out about Team Sky's full Vuelta a Espana team by clicking HERE, and learn all about this year's race by reading our in-depth guide HERE.