Klöden ready for the Tour

A.K. My mobility is still down. When I ride, it's okay, but I still feel pain when I make certain moves. I have worked a lot with a physiotherapist, who is still taking care of me each day, and the situation is constantly improving.

A.K. It was a great return after having spent ten weeks without being able to ride. I was a little worried, of course, because I didn't have a single reference point, even if I knew that I had worked a whole lot to be physically ready for the Bavaria-Rundfahrt. Big picture, I think that my form is just about comparable to where it was at the same time last year. I still have a good way to go.

A.K. Yes. I'm not expecting to play a big part over there. But I want to take advantage of the race to test myself on certain stages. A little bit like I did last season on the Dauphiné Libéré. After the Tour de Suisse, I will challenge the German national championships, then there will be the Tour de France.

A.K. Yes, as long as I feel confident that I won't just ride in the peloton. Since the start of the season, the team told me that I would be part of a five-rider base for the Tour de France. On that point, I was always reassured, in spite of my injury. They have left me plenty of time to come back. In fact, I was originally supposed to come back at the Volta à Catalunya, but I had to shift the return date. My experiences last year gave me the ability to not panic. I know that I can return to form for the month of July, even with a shorter preparation. The first week of the Tour will allow me to get right back in my place.

A.K. I think that if a team wants to claim the yellow jersey in Paris, it cannot take on these kinds of responsibilities. T-Mobile wants to win. So we are ready to take our responsibilities, as are, without a doubt, CSC or Discovery Channel, who seem to me to still be very strong this year.

A.K. People underestimate the pressure that weighs down on you when you are in the race to win or get on the podium. It's not that easy to succeed when you're not used to it. If I judge things by my own experiences, the nights would be much shorter! At the same time, those riders don't have the same responsibilities as an Ullrich, or a Basso, or a Vinokourov. So they can ride with a little more freedom. But for me, these three favourites for the victory are clearly separate. Behind them, for the podium, it's very open.

A.K. At the time, he was perhaps a little too young to demonstrate all of his abilities. He needed some time, a little bit like David Kopp does today. But we knew that he had talent. That had nothing to do with the fact that he was at T-Mobile. He just needed to grow up in order to reach his full potential. In any case, I tip my cap to him. To win two stages of the Giro, that's no small task.