Having celebrated his birthday yesterday, Chris Anker Sørensen is finally back in good form after an injury-plagued first part of the season. The Dane is looking forward to providing support for Alberto Contador in the Vuelta mountains.

Tinkoff-Saxo’s strong Dane, Chris Anker Soerensen, turns 30 today. He’s currently in action at Vuelta a España, where he offers important support to team captain Alberto Contador, whenever the roads get steep. Away from his family, he has spent much of the day on his bike in Northern Spain with an effort level above what you would normally experience as a birthday boy.
 
“It’s a long time since I last had a birthday at home with my family and it’s definitely not like the epic birthdays I had as a child. But I have some brilliant teammates and friends on the team and my family has promised to throw a delayed party for me, when I get back from the Vuelta. I always have a long list of wishes - a normal pair of shoes being the biggest one. There’s no bike equipment on the list though, I have lot of that already”, says Sørensen with his usual subtle sense of humor.
 
Throwing a proper birthday party during a Grand Tour on a team constantly on the move is next to impossible. But Sørensen tells that Tinkoff-Saxo’s team chef has promised to make him a traditional Danish birthday cake for dessert.
 
“My teammates will probably sing me a song, I’ll talk to my family at home and then I really look forward to Hannah’s cake. I’ve told her that I really wanted a traditional Danish cake with whipped cream and custard and I have the feeling that she’ll surprise me at dinner”, he adds.
 
The now 30-year old Danish climber sustained bad injuries when he crashed during this year’s Giro d’Italia. But Sørensen has fought hard to rebuild his shape and get back on the bike. He’s now ready to take on the tough and mountainous second part of this year’s Vuelta a España.
 
“I’m feeling good, my shape is solid, increasing everyday and I don’t feel that I’m now racing as a rider in his 30’s. The next three stages will be crucial but it gives the team a lot of confidence to know that we’re fighting to keep Alberto in the lead. I’m recovering well and I think I’ll be able to offer good support on the many climbs to come here at the Vuelta”, concludes Chris Anker Soerensen.