Julian Arredondo (1988, Trek Factory Racing) is pleased to put an end to a "very hard" year. In fact, he has been a shadow of the rider that excelled last year. He has been hampered by a cervical disorder. "I was desperate," says the Colombian who even thought about retirement and now trains with a mouthpiece to correct his position on the bike.

Arredondo impressed in his first year at the elite level. He was combative, cheeky and achieved results, winning a mountain stage and the montains jersey at the Giro d'Italia. Just a year ago he was excited and smiling when he spoke to BiciCiclismo in L'Alfas del Pi at a team training camp.

This year the Spanish website returned to talk to the Colombian who was a markedly different rider. Now the goal is just to ride without pain and do the best.

”[My schedule will be] Australia (Tour Down Under), Portugal (Volta ao Algarve) and Tirreno. It depends on how those races go whether I will do the Giro.  We cannot schedule anything without knowing how my health will be, especially after what happened to me this year.

”Now it seems that we have finally found the solution. The problem seems to be cervical: it had an impact on my teeth and the neck and twisted my hip. It was uncomfortable. I did everything: I changed my bike, measurements, x-rays…

”I was diagnosed after Lombardy. I was desperate. It made no sense to continue. The osteopath helped me and I got the correct position, but after a few days of competition my body was twisted and I could not do what I wanted. And it hurt. I started well in Switzerland and Colorado, even in the Tour de France I was near the front on the Murs de Huy and Bretagne, but with the passage of time it was getting worse. I had no strength and every day in the Tour I thought about retiring. Luc Meersman, Trek sports director, told me that his son Gianni Meersman who is an Etixx-QuickStep rider, had the same problem and took me to the doctor of the AC Milan soccer team. He told me that the problem stemmed from the neck which is not obvious in elite sport. Hopefully this is the solution and I will again have a great season with goals and results.

”It was hard all year. I ended the season without a win and started to think about doing something else. It was not an easy year. We will see how I can start this year and then I will make decisions, whether to continue. I've done everything with enthusiasm and excitement and that's why I did not understand why things did not work out.”

On certain occasions Arredondo was even left crying on the bike.

”The team expected much and received very little,” he said. “I trained and continue to work to be with the first, not getting dropped. I want to do things right, I have started the season well and I feel better.”

Arredondo considered retirement.

“Yes, because it makes no sense to continue to suffer,” he said. “I was in pain, physically and mentally. Nothing was like before. This year I have been busy. I've done all the preparation as usual, with enthusiasm and excitement. And then, when things do not go like you want, you do not understand why. There are years you do everything well and nothing comes out of it. This is not mathematics.”

Arredondo hopes to have solved the problem.

”The solution is a plaque on the teeth that I have started to use all day and now always use in training for an hour or two hours,” he said. “With this device, I feel better and different. We will see in Australia if I can start in the right way. I certainly want to continue but it makes no sense to be like this year.

“Hopefully I have changed everything. Until now, I feel good and I hope to start like that and be ready at Tirreno.”