sitting down with a champion: tomas vaitkus

By Cathy Mehl

I sat down with Tomas Vaitkus at team training camp in Santa Rosa on February 7, 2009 and we talked about his upcoming season, all prior to his injury on February 28th while racing Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.  We did a follow-up last weekend as he prepares to return to racing on Saturday in Milan-Sanremo.  Tomas is friendly and laughs easily and you’ll see our conversation had plenty of fun about it, too.

Cathy: Here is my list of questions for you, Tomas.

Tomas: Hard questions?

Yep, I saved the hardest ones for you.  By the way, how was your birthday?  You and Eki have the same birthday on February 4th.  Did you get any special presents?

 Yeah. I got a Bob Marley wristband from Michael.

A what?

A wristband…because now I have the colors black, red and yellow on my national kit so he gave me a present like, you know, from Bob Marley.  Also we also say I’m now the champion of Jamaica.

Tomas in his national kit

Oh, got it….. that’s why you pointed to your kit today and said “Jamaica.” Glad you explained that one! Moving on.  Last year you had a lot of good results, decent results.  What stands out in your mind?  What did you like the best about 2008?  You were up there in the mix a lot.

Oh, let’s see. I won the Lithuanian national championships, that was good.  And also I had a victory in Groene Hart.  Of course to be on the Vuelta team was also nice, very special.  Those are the main things.

What did it mean to you personally to win your national championship?  Was that the first time that you have won the national championship?

Tomas: No, no.

You’ve won it several times before?

Yes but of course every time it’s nice to represent one’s country, not just the team.  And also every time wearing the championship colors is very nice.

Or those for Jamaica….  (laughing)

Yes, supporting Bob Marley.

What about your goals for 2009?  What are your races and what do you want to target for yourself, personally?

Of course I’m going to put most of my attention to the spring classics and for sure I hope  I am going to have some good results.  After that I’m all for the team.  For now  I’m on the list to do the Tour and it’s possible also maybe Giro or Vuelta.  We’ll decide after the spring classics. I’m doing all of those.

 In your mind, what race would you most like to win for yourself?

Tour of Flanders for sure.

I’m sorry but you can’t have that race. Gregy said he wants to win that one and I asked him first.

We will share, we will make it a tie.

 How did you get your start in cycling?

 My father was a cyclist.

He was a professional cyclist?

No, when he was racing it was like, you know, Soviet Union team, like CCCP, so it wasn’t possible for him to become a professional. And after when CCCP was over, then Russians started to go to professional teams.  But at this time he stopped and didn’t want to go back to the sport.  Before I started cycling I was swimming, from the time I was 6 years old.  Maybe that’s why I’m a big guy.

You like swimming a lot?

Every winter I swim a minimum of one kilometer. I was also on the national team. It was just too hard to do both so I choose cycling.

Are you glad you did?

Yeah.

You’re a really good sprinter.  Did you always focus on sprinting or no?

It depends.  If I’m prepared and in good condition.  But when I need to help the team then it’s not possible, you know, but of course when the race is for me and there’s not so much climbing then I’m going to try in the sprint.

You do ok on the climbs.

 But I must start to eat with a smaller spoon. (We both laugh.)

You did great in the Vuelta on the mountains. I saw on the team site that you had a stage win in the Giro a few years ago (Stage 9, 2006). What was that like for you?  Was it a sprint stage and what was it like to win a stage in a Grand Tour?

 It was the shortest stage in the Giro! (laughs)

 Perfect.  What was that like for you to win a stage in a Grand Tour?

 When I finished, Paolo Bettini was acting like he won and I was also thinking “Second or third again” because it was a photo finish.

It was?  I probably wrote the race report about it when I wrote but I didn’t know who you were then.

I was already riding my bike to the bus and on the radio one of the masseurs of the team started calling to me, “Hey Tomas, you must go to the podium! You are the winner.”  I said, “No I was second because Bettini was sure he won….”  And then I was really surprised.  So then I forgot all of my languages, even Lithuanian when they asked me some questions at the press conference.  My mouth was moving, you know, like a fish but I couldn’t say anything! The stages before it I was always 3rd, 5th….

So you were getting better all the time.  Do you like riding in the Grand Tours?

Yes, the Vuelta was my 3rd Grand Tour.

Tomas at the Vuelta party

 Two Giros and a Vuelta?

 But I didn’t finish one before 2008 Giro.  So I finished and for me it felt good, like the first time winning a race so it was a nice feeling also.

 You were going to ride the Tour in 2007 with Discovery Channel but you got hurt at the beginning, right?

 Yeah, I broke my thumb.  So it’s 4 grand tours.

Your Tour ended so quickly you didn’t get to do anything special. Let’s talk about the team for this year. There are so many big riders, so many big names, on Team Astana now.  Does that help you as a rider?  Does that motivate you to ride for all these great cyclists?

Yeah, but we are all regular people.  Like, Andreas and other guys, they are really, really friendly.  When you need help, they help you.  When they need help, we help them.  All the time we do our work.  Of course you feel more respect for them. It’s normal, I think.  But we are all the team.

 It’s also nice to know that you’re riding for someone that can finish it, someone who can be a winner.  What do you think is the best thing about being a bike rider?  What do you like the most about it?

 Everything because almost every day you meet someone different and make new friends.  Also, you see a lot of countries.

 Do you like the travel?

 In the beginning of the season you are fresh and then after half of the season is over you get a break and stay home like 1 or 2 months, and not traveling so much.  So you start to want to go again.  Also in the off season you are waiting for the training camp so there is something to do again.

Have you ever raced in the United States?

 No, never. In Canada for the World Championships but that’s not here.

In Hamilton?

I wasn’t very good. It was my first year as a professional and my national team told me “If you want to go and act like a tourist, you can go.”

What’s your favorite thing to do when you’re not on a bike?  What do you like to do in your spare time or another sport?

 It’s not allowed in my contract.

 It’s not?  (laughing)

 I like fast cars.  Also motorbikes.

To race them?

 No. I have a fast car, but it’s not allowed to go on the circuit. Sometimes where it’s possible to drive, I drive fast sometimes.

 Do you think you have a good sense of humor?

 I don’t know, really.

 Do you like to make jokes a lot?

 It depends on…I don’t know this word in English…

 On your mood?  On how you feel right then?

 Yeah, it depends on this.

 Because you seem like you’re always laughing and smiling.  You seem like you tease your teammates and stuff, make fun of them.

 It’s an easier way to live life.

How come you have a pink phone?

I had a Blackberry Storm and I crashed with it and it broke.  So I had to go back to use my old Blackberry Pearl.  It’s black underneath but when I went to buy a cover they only had this one….so now I have a pink phone!

Eki, Baza and Tomas check out the pink phone

(Updated portion of interview)

How is your training going?

Training is ok. I’m still riding with the pain but I hope it’s gone for Milan-Sanremo. I just want to race again.

Are you doing anything special with the injury?

Yes I am doing special movements for my arm.

Is your big goal still Flanders?

Yes and I’m still very motivated.

Are you looking forward to racing with Lance in Milan-Sanremo?

Yes but I’m a little nervous.  He’s an important man.

Oh, you’ll do great.

Yes, I hope.  I do my best every time for the team.

I  know ... everyone knows. So schedule-wise now it’s Milan-Sanremo, Castilla y Leon and then what?

And then Belgium, where I have to be extra careful!  De Panne, Flanders, Wevelgem and Roubaix.

 Welcome to the be-lated start of your season, Tomas.  We can’t wait to see what you have in store for us!  Best of luck and stay upright.