Twelve months ago Cyclingnews sat down with Tom Dumoulin to talk about the steps he needed to take in order to succeed in Grand Tours. The rest, as they say, is history after the Dutchman climbed to the top step of the podium at the 2017 Giro d’Italia.
This time it’s the turn of Nathan Haas. The Australian has been steadily climbing the ladder in one-day races and many believe that he is on the cusp of a breakthrough result in the Ardennes. Having finished fourth in Amstel Gold last season the newly signed Katusha-Alepecin rider met with Cyclingnews in Spain to go through the next steps he needs to make in his career.
Finding the best team
For me, the first thing was finding the biggest team in the world where I could be a leader in the Classics. I’ve had some great development over the years and I’ve studied under some great riders like Dan Martin and Ryder Hesjedal, and they were great teachers but I found that without having a fully committed team around me it’s almost impossible.
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It means that if you’re one of the absolute greatest talents like a Gilbert or Sagan, and you’ve got unbeatable teams around you, then it becomes an almost unbeatable combination. So while I’m there in some of the finals the bit that you don’t see is the first 200km of races and if you’re at a team that’s at the bottom in terms of respect in the peloton and where you can sit, you’re wasting energy all day. Step one was finding the world’s biggest team and for me, Katusha-Alpecin is a top-five team with Team Sky, BMC, Quick-Step Floors, and Movistar.
Changing my style of racing
Having found the team the next thing I have to master is using the guys around in the best possible way. I’ve got to change the way in which I race, and go from always being on the front foot to turning around and using the riders around me. I have to change my riding style and become more open, more trusting and use the recourses that I’ve now been given. I have my race programme and I know I’ll be at the Ardennes, Strade Bianche, and Milan-San Remo. We’ll have strong teams around me for all of those races, whoever turns up. I don’t have any anxiety in that regard.
Training improvements
Every year I walk into the season and think that I can lean on the knowledge and the experience that I’ve gained from the past. Then at the end of the year I laugh to myself because of the things I’ve learned about my own training and my own physiology. It's a constant process of evolving.
Plan wins and study the trends
Don’t be scared of failing
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