Oscar Freire in-line for the UCI Road World Championships 2012
UCI Road World Championships is undoubtedly the biggest cycling event of the year and all the cycling nations are focused on sending their top squad for the contest.
Winner of the Vuelta a Espana 2012, Alberto Contador, runner-up Alejandro Valverde and third-place holder are the favourite contenders for the race and their names have been all over the media in the past three weeks.
However, one cyclist who is pretty much capable of turning the tables in his favour has been overlooked by the media is ‘The Cat’, Oscar Freire.
The final squad is yet to be announced by the Spanish National Coach Jose Luis de Santos but it is believed that Freire will be included in the line-up for the World Championships in Valkenburg, Netherlands.
The 36-year-old a stage each at the Santos Tour Down Under and the Vuelta a Andalucia and finished second at the E3 Harelbeke 2012.
He occupied the second spot at the Brabantse Pijl and finished fourth at the Amstel Gold Race in the current season.
Oscar was optimistic for the Milan-San Remo and rode superbly but could not secure any better the seventh position.
"I did the best I could," the Spaniard told Biciciclismo after the race. "I couldn't do more because, unfortunately, my legs did not respond as I had hoped. So, when the final escape formed, I realized that it was impossible to take their wheel".
"This may have been my last Milan-San Remo, but I'm not disappointed. I don't have any regrets in my career, like I said before - I couldn't have given more of myself," added the triple World Champion.
Freire will have to fight with numerous in-form Spanish cyclists which he believe is a good thing, "but it's good to have several candidates for the Worlds," Freire said.
"What is certain is that we will know how to arrange things to support one of our riders".
Oscar holds the honour of winning the UCI Road World Championships on three different occasions, in the 1999, 2001 and 2004 editions.
It will be interesting to see if the cyclist manages to impress the team selector, as he is a definite black horse for the coming event.
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