Cycling: Kiwi rider just happy to be one of the team

By TERRY MADDAFORD

New Zealand cyclist Julian Dean is preparing to join "Group Echo" - the laughing bunch of riders who will struggle through the tough mountain stages in the Tour de France.

Speaking from Limoges yesterday on the rest day ahead of last night's overnight stage from Saint Leonard de Noblat to Gueret - the last of the relatively flat stages before the hammer goes down - Dean said he and the other sprinters in the 160-plus field had to prepare themselves for the tough days ahead.

"We know we have to finish each stage within a certain percentage time of the stage winner," Dean said.

"Even if we don't climb well, we have to get home."

While the "big boys" concern themselves with their position on general classification, Dean concerns himself more with his role in the French-based Credit Agricole team.

"My focus is to win stages or at least help Thor Hushovd win," Dean said. "General classification has no great significance for me. We are working, in the end, for our team leader Christophe Moreau."

Moreau, in 99th place and one of France's top hopes, is a favourite with the huge crowds and under pressure to perform.

"Christophe is looking good and feeling happy within himself," Dean said. "He is a really good guy and appreciates what I have done for the team so far."

Hushovd, in 84th place and 14m 37s behind tour leader Thomas Voeckler, is the team's leading rider at this stage.

Moreau is at 15m 33s, Dean is 121st at 17m 48s. All nine team members are still in the race.

After his win in a mass sprint finish on Monday's eighth stage, Hushovd paid tribute to Dean for the part he has played in providing him with the perfect lead-outs which helped him to second place (and the tour leader's yellow jersey) on the second stage and the victory in Quimper.

"We share the same hotel room each night and talk things over," Dean said. "He is the only other rider on the team who speaks fluent English so it works out quite well."

Dean said that while the first week and a bit had been demanding, it was not as hard as the first week of the Tour of Spain.

"In that race we were in the mountains after two or three days."

But, despite some reservations, Dean is confident he can get to the finish in Paris.

"Sometime in the next two weeks I will have a day where I will struggle. Hopefully it will not come in the mountains. Recovering from the injury I had coming into the race has been almost as hard mentally as it has been physically.

"The biggest difference between the Tour de France and other races is the intensity. It is difficult but, at the same time, satisfying, especially when we get the results we have had so far," Dean said. "Our team bosses are very happy."

And that, more than almost everything else, is important for Dean and his future.

"They see the contribution I can make to the team. They know I have always been a sprinter chasing victory.

"It is not easy handing over victory to a team-mate but that's how it is here. This attitude will definitely help next year when they look at their roster.

"Other teams are only interested in signing guys who they think can win. Credit Agricole takes a different view. I'm happy to go along with that."

Dean, part of a 22-strong team (including the nine riders), described the race as a "big travelling circus" with up to 100,000 people milling around at the start of every stage.

"The weather has been dreadful but that doesn't stop them. It has been incredible. There is not a moment along the road there are not people. It's like nothing else. And it won't let up," he said.

"It's going to be crazy in the mountains. I'm looking forward to it."

Sort of.