Backstedt Back With a Bang

When Slipstream/Chipotles' Magnus Backstedt hit the deck in the Tour of Qatar breaking his clavicle, many people were already writing off the 2004 Paris Roubaix winners chances of coming back to full fitness in time.

Magnus launches away to take second in De Panne TT stage

The Swedish champion however has built a career and reputation around looking on each hardship or injury to fuel his inner strength and character.

Backstedt returned to racing in the GP Eroica in Italy, completing 100kms. He then rode through Tirreno Adriatico and Milan San Remo with confidence and patience that each day of racing would bring his form at the right time.

"Sometimes you have to allow yourself the time to play that waiting game and allow the form to come. I got a call at the last minute to go and do Criterium International, so I hopped in the car and drove down to do that. I had recovered well from Milan San Remo and just felt like I needed some more good racing in my legs."

Heading to the north, Backstedt went into the final time trial of the 3 Days of De Panne in 18th place overall. Strong performances against the clock in the 2007 editions of Castilla Y Leon and Circuit de La Sarthe after coming back from injury, showed that he still has that big TT engine.

At the 5.7km time check in De Panne Backstedt was just under 5 seconds slower than Quicksteps Stijn Devolder. He went fastest at the finish with only Joost Posthuma beating his time. Afterwards he was nothing but energized by his ride, that also moved him into 8th place overall.

"I got the time check in my ear and just decided to put the hammer down and see what was in the tank. I had one of those time trials where the bike was just moving itself. I didn't feel great on my warm up, thats the way it goes sometimes, things click into place when you are least expecting them. This result was so so important in terms of confidence and self belief. Its fine to look at your power figures from training, but another thing altogether to record results like this so close to your big objective."

Looking ahead, I now go into Flanders and Roubaix at 100% for the first time in a few years. This Sundays will be a test, I will see how the legs are going when I get in there.
Roubaix is my goal, its my race.

I have my new Roubaix bike that Jim Felt and his team have been working on since our meeting at Interbike last year. It looks great and I will take it out for a test on the stones next week."

What about the weather for Roubaix? Would he like the 25 degree heat from last year? "No way, I like it raining and cold. We haven't had classic Paris Roubaix weather for a few years. Theres something about waking up on the morning of Roubaix, looking out the window and seeing rain!

It just makes the eyes glow red and makes me smile!" He concluded.

Website - www.magnusbackstedt.com