Looking at 2009 with Klostergaard

He is now in his girlfriend’s apartment in Horsens, Denmark watching the quite nasty November rain. A sad contrast to the milder climate in Italy where he has his own apartment. But make no mistake. He is not the one to complaint.

He was the Team Saxo Bank spearhead in the 2009 spring Classics. The man launched to the front so others could save their strength for the final of the Milan-San Remo and Paris-Roubaix where he was in the spotlight over 200 kilometers in both races on the greatest international cycling scene.

“It was a fantastic experience to be in the front breaks of both the Milan-San Remo and Paris-Roubaix. The general idea was not to win the races. The key was to give my team an excuse not to spend their energy as locomotive in the forefront of the field and at the same time it was a unique chance to show my worth. In addition, the 2009 Giro d’Italia was a great encounter and a challenge. It was my first three-week stage race and it was purely a mental challenge which mainly consisted of having to convince myself that the body was actually able to cope with the hardships, even though it hurt everywhere already after the first week”.

26-year-old Kasper Klostergaard is a faithful and trustworthy cyclist and since his early beginnings in the world of cycling he has been running in only three different team jerseys: Horsens Amatør Cykelklub, Team Glud & Marstrand Horsens and current Team Saxo Bank. He won his first race, “The young people’s race” in 1995 where he had been inspired by his current employer, Bjarne Riis and the rest of the Danish legends in the sport of the time. Talent scouts from Horsens Amatør Cykelklub convinced the young kid to exploit his abilities and they lended him a bike.

After several promising results through his childhood and two great years in junior cycling it was obvious to make the natural switch to Team Glud & Marstrand. Here, current manager of the team, Michael Skelde, played an important role in his switch to the professional part of the sport:

“Skelde was in contact with both Kim Andersen and Bjarne Riis and they gave me a chance as a stagiare in 2005. Here I did the Tour de l’Avenir where I along with Matti Breschel and Andy Schleck helped Lars Bak to overall victory. Later that year, I participated in the U23 World Championships where I was riding aggressively and I was afterwards offered a two-year contract with Bjarne”.

As a cyclist, it’s easy to get bogged down in the daily training if one is not conscious and careful about his habits. And while the devil on one shoulder of many riders plays a key role at this time of year with many good reasons to shirk training it is no problem for Team Saxo Bank rider:

“I have no problem getting out there alone. My self discipline is intact and if it should fail in my twelve hours weekly program there is always good training company to benefit from in Horsens. Moreover, I do a lot of alternative training such as mountain biking, alpine and cross-country skiing when I’m at home in Italy and I work out to strengthen the abdominal and back muscles. It is a good variety mentally as well. It is no secret that I do not have quite the same natural talent as Chris Anker Sørensen, Matti Breschel and Jakob Fuglsang who are all training very hard. I just have to train even harder to achieve the same result”.

In his first few years on the team, Kasper Klostergaard has been acquiesced in his role as a supporting rider on one of the world’s best cycling teams but after a good and solid effort particularly in the 2009 spring season he is ready to take another step up the ladder in the hierarchy:

“Next year waiver of riders along with the same number of races will give me greater opportunities to create my own chances and results. That several riders have found other pastures is a clear advantage for a rider like me. I’m hungry for victories and my winner mentality is absolutely intact so I am looking forward to the coming season where I hope to be participating in the spring classics and getting a place in the line-up in one of the long stage races. Professional victories are not hanging on trees but I see periods of the season where I can be focusing on my own chance”.

In many ways, 2010 is going to be an exciting season for Team Saxo Bank and Kasper Klostergaard. And as a now more experienced cyclist, he sees the many sides of the professional life as a gift and a challenge:

“I am grateful to be a professional cyclist and turning what I like to do best into a living. But of course, there are challenges such as having to fill out my whereabouts and simultaneously be very conscious about where and when I go somewhere. Once, I was disconnected from the internet and unfortunately I sent my whereabouts information too late – by one day. Therefore, I was contacted by UCI who wanted me to explain. So, I did. The following day they sent an inspector to do a blood test. At times, it is very stressful with this kind of distrust but we all know the rules and they must of course be followed for the common benefit of excluding cheaters. For the younger riders, it’s probably difficult to always know where to spend the night – especially in the autumn where it’s tempting to hang out partying with friends. But since I am in steady relationship, I have my permanent bed space”.

The mood doesn’t fail. Kasper Klostergaard is now looking forward to the team training camp in December:

“There are riders on the Team I have not seen since spring and the training camp is always a good way of strengthening the friendships within the team. It is beneficial in a large organization that we have a common frame of reference when we throughout the season are working with a broad constellation of sports directors, mechanics, soigneurs and riders. Team Saxo Bank is a great place to be and an amazing staff and I am looking forward to another year on the team”, concludes Kasper Klostergaard. His contract expires in 2010.

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