Kennaugh aiming to impress in 2014

Pete Kennaugh is setting his sights on a second Tour de France appearance after a flying start to the season.

Ruta del Sol shows Manxman in early season form

After delivering his most convincing performance to date in his debut Tour de France, Pete Kennaugh is looking to make an impact on more races again in 2014. The Manxman recently completed a strong week of racing at the Ruta del Sol, outlining his credentials as he looks to defend his position in Team Sky’s Tour de France squad, and evolve his all-round abilities in the process. Kennaugh found his form at a key time in 2013 and stirring rides at the Criterium du Dauphine and Tour de France saw him go toe-to-toe with the world's stage racing elite. “That was a highlight for me,” he admits unsurprisingly. “That’s why I’ve been more motivated than ever this season, because now I’ve had a taste of what it’s all about - riding onto the Champs-Elysees and experiencing stages like Mont Ventoux and Alpe d’Huez. My performances there gave me a lot of confidence going into this year. I’m fitter than ever and ready to go again.” Not content to simply do more of the same, Kennaugh is looking to shoulder more responsibility going forwards as Team Sky look to retain their mantle as the team to beat in stage races. Fresh from riding on the front deep into the climbs in Andalucia, Kennaugh explained: “It’s not just about getting in that Tour team, but to be more of a crucial part of it. "I’d love to try and step into the area Richie (Porte) is in - going further onto the climbs. But it’s not just about the Tour this year as I’ve been working a lot on my time trialling. I want to progress my stage racing abilities and see if I can maybe get a win or some GC placings in other races.

Forward progress

"I just want to keep my head down and let the legs do the talking. I’m not one to say ‘I want to do this’ and just put pressure on myself for no reason." Visibly improving as a rider, Kennaugh isn't looking to rest on his laurels and dine out on past performances. "You can’t just go on what you did last year," he reasons. "I’ll have to prove myself in the first couple of races this season and hopefully I can get an opportunity. I’ve got Coppa Bartali on my programme this year and I think it’s quite a young team there - maybe a race like that I could be more of an influence rather than just getting around. "Basically, it's about being fit enough and ready to race rather than playing catch-up, which I was doing for a lot of last year." That period of playing catch-up was down to a niggling heel injury which stopped the 24-year-old Manxman from getting the most out of himself for much of the year. After repeated rounds of therapy, Kennaugh feels back to full strength on the bike for the first time in recent memory. "I had an ongoing heel injury for pretty much the whole season last year. I was able to race with it as it was only niggling, but I didn’t feel that I could perform to the best of my ability. "After the Tour I was racing but it wasn’t getting any better. In the end we made the decision to call it a day and get it sorted once and for all, with a view to being ready to go for this year, rather than trying and push through to the worlds. "I came back in November, went to Calpe in Spain, and got into a good routine. Since then I’ve been pretty switched on. [The heel therapy] has done the job. I’ve been able to train harder, longer and better than I’ve been able to do any other winter. I’ve been really consistent with my training."