20 Questions: Vasil Kiryienka

In the first of our Tour de France rider previews we catch up with Team Sky's Belarusian powerhouse as he answers some interesting questions.

'Kiry' talks pets, the Hulk and time in the disco

The Belarusian often lets his performances on the bike do the talking, but cycling's strongman took time out recently to sit down and answer some light-hearted questions. Check out the answers below to find out the name of his Yorkshire Terrier: What is your favourite meal to cook? Fish, covered with spices. Wrap it, put it in the oven for a bit and you have a nice easy meal. If you were a super hero what powers would you have? I’d like to be the Hulk and have his powers! What is your favourite sport apart from cycling? I enjoy watching tennis. Are you a morning or an evening person? I’m more of a night person. I’ve lived in Spain for quite a long time now. It’s quite hard to get up in the mornings, but I’m never up too late! Have you ever Google’d yourself? No never (laughs). Should I? What is the longest you’ve gone without sleep? Two days and two nights in the disco when I was younger! But on the second day I was very tired. Do you believe in aliens? I don’t think so. Have you ever sailed a boat? I've never sailed a boat. But at the Tour de France team presentation last year we did enter on a very cool boat. Which football team do you support? I'm not a big football fan. But I'd say Bayern Munich if I had to pick. What special talents, apart from cycling, do you have? I don’t have any other talents. I don’t know how to dance! What is your favourite TV programme? I like the Russian news programme 'Time'. What do you do outside of cycling to keep fit? I go to the gym. In the last few years I have taken up running. I run along the river near my home with my dog. What is the best advice anyone has given you? Maybe to ride the Vuelta last year? I didn’t know if I would be in good form but people were telling me: ‘Kiry, come to the Vuelta, come to the Vuelta. You can be good there.’ And I ended up winning a stage! What is the most heroic thing you’ve done? I can’t really think of anything I’ve done on that level. I’ve not saved any children from any rivers. Most things I do I don’t consider heroic. What is your favourite pizza topping? Salchicha Italiana sausage. What is your favourite animal? My dog – Baxter! He’s a Yorkshire Terrier. Would you prefer to be really really big, or really really little? That’s interesting. I’d like to be really small. So I could look where I shouldn’t look (laughs). Do you have any phobias? I don't think so. But you don't always know you have a phobia until something happens. Have you ever fired a gun? No never. What is your favourite fruit? At the moment it's probably mango.