Kiel Reijnen has a history of success racing in Colorado, and he returns to his former home state hoping to nab his first victory of 2017 during this week's Colorado Classic. The Trek-Segafredo rider is at the end of his contract with the WorldTour team, and hasn't put his arms in the air since he won a stage and the overall points classification in the Tour of Utah last year. But he's not letting his contract situation worry him as he focuses on the opening stage in Colorado Springs, a course well-suited to his characteristics.
"I try to keep the contract stuff separate from the racing," Reijnen said after the opening press conference. "I realize that it's impossible to do. For me, this race has very little to do with keeping a job or deciding a future. I love this race, and I have a great team behind me here. I've been training hard for it. I've tried to put the contract stuff out of my mind. I've been really happy at Trek so far. I think that they'd like me to stick around."
Reijnen, a former Boulder resident, relocated to Bainbridge Island in Washington state, but is back in his comfort zone in Colorado on familiar roads.
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"It's very comfortable. I drove myself to the press conference and didn't need the GPS. It's all very familiar," he said.
Reijnen has been racing primarily in Europe since his move to the WorldTour, but still has the advantage over some of the Europeans when it comes to American-style racing.
"In terms of my skill set, I prefer the shorter, punchier circuits anyway, and there are a few of those in this race. I've worked to prepare for that. Racing in America is definitely different than racing in Europe. Each continent has its own vibe. It takes a while to learn the ropes – when to dig in, when to relax, and where you need to be position-wise."
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