Oscar Freire sticking on his decision to retire after the UCI Road World Championships
Oscar Freire has noted that winning the rainbow jersey at the UCI Road World Championships is the only big goal left in his professional career.
The cyclist earlier announced his retirement by the end of 2012 season and has cited that his retirement depends on the rainbow jersey at the coming race in Holland.
He will retire from professional cycling by the end of this season unless he wins the World Championships which will be the fourth Worlds win of his career.
“The Spanish team arrives in good shape and is a favourite for the road race this year,” he noted.
“Many of us are ready to win, we have a lot of options in regards to strategy and it all depends on how you develop the race for each of us and the whole team”.
“Freire has in the past repeatedly announced his retirement, only to change his mind. Last year, he also hinted that he would retire if he did not win the world title”.
“He did not win it but nevertheless signed with Katusha for the 2012 season”.
The Spaniard marked his professional debut back in 1998 with Team Vitalicio Seguros and stayed with the team by the end of 1999.
He accepted an offer from Team Mapei-Quick Step through 2000-02 and penned a deal with Team Rabobank in 2003.
Oscar spent most of his career with the Dutch team and helped the team with numerous top performances during his nine year stay with the team.
Freire announcement his retirement just ahead of the 2011 UCI Road World Championships on the same conditions as this year but took his retirement back for one more year.
He ended his nine-year association with Team Rabobank and signed up with Team Katusha for the 2012 season.
The 36-year-old’s to performances in the current season include stage victories at the Santos Tour Down Under and the Vuelta a Andalucia along with a second place finish at the E3 Harelbeke 2012.
He occupied the fourth overall position at the Amstel Gold Race and seventh at the Milan-San Remo 2012.
Freire previously won the 1999, 2001 and 2004 versions of the UCI Road World Championships and is optimistic to register his fourth overall win at the race.
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