Ryan Anderson ready for Grand Tour debut at Vuelta a España

by Aaron S. Lee

After competing all across North America over the past three seasons with U.S.-registered UCI Continental team Optum powered by Kelly Benefit Strategies, Vancouver native Ryan Anderson (Direct Énergie) is happy to be back at the professional continental level and once again racing in Europe with – and against – the world’s best.

“I kind of did everything I wanted to do racing in North America and I just really wanted to come back and try my hand back in Europe,” Anderson told Canadian Cycling Magazine. “I was here a few years ago racing for Steve Bauer’s team (Spidertech Powered by C10) and when that abruptly ended, I kind of got left out of coming back to Europe, so I’ve been working my way back.

“I guess you could say I have some unfinished business here.”

The Edmonton-born Anderson joined fellow Canadian Antoine Duchesne on the French-based team formerly known as Europcar in December. He has spent the last eight months learning from three-time Tour de France stage winner Sylvain Chavanel and contributing on the lead-out train for 4 Jours de Dunkerque  winner Bryan Coquard,  who also finished fourth at the Amstel Gold Race in April.

“Every chance I get to learn, I take it,” admitted Anderson. “I’ve been with Chavanel a lot more this season because I’ve done our whole classics program with him.

“I just like to pick his brain, and Romain Sicard too.

“I haven’t raced as much with Romain,” he continued. “But whenever I’ve had the opportunity to see him, I like to talk about the grand tours.”

Anderson is fresh off a second-place podium at La Poly Normandie and a top-20 result at the four-stage Arctic Race of Norway on Sunday. The recently turned 29-year-old (July 22), who has spent the past three years racing both the Grand Prix de Montréal and Grand Prix de Québec, is set to make his grand tour debut at the Vuelta a España on August 20.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to do every edition of the grand prix and this year is the first time I’m going to miss them,” said the battle-hardened Anderson, who has raced Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix, Amstel Gold Race and Amgen Tour of California this season. “I would have been on the start again this year, but it’s hard not to get excited about my first grand tour – it’s a trade off, I guess.”

As for what he expects in the three-week, 21-stage Tour of Spain, Anderson says it’s all about survival.

“Chavanel told me that the Vuelta is the more relaxed of the bigger races, but the route is quite difficult,” he said. “This year, all the general classification big hitters are coming, so I expect it to be a hard race.“For me, it’s all about supporting my team and just making it through the race.”

“For me, it’s all about supporting my team and just making it through the race.”

Anderson is on the back half of a one-year contract, but is hopeful he will return with the team in 2017.
“I’m pretty confident I will stay on the team,” said the 2013 USA Pro Challenge runner-up. “My goal was getting settled in Europe more and getting this season under the legs – I except to get better.

“The team has been a really good fit for me and I’ve been enjoying it. I feel like I can race well at this level and that’s the ultimate goal.”

Aaron S. Lee is a pro cycling and triathlon journalist for Eurosport and contributor to Canadian Cycling Magazine