Andriy Grivko has spoken to PEZ Cycling about his 2015 season and about his career, where he has “worked for many champions”. The Astana rider also divulged his race calendar for most of the season.

“It has become simpler because I have the experience, but it (his calendar) is much the same as last year. In the first part of the season I will try to get some results in the Classics, I’ll go to the first and second part of the Classics and after I will prepare for the Tour de France, to help Nibali repeat what he did last year. I’m on the Tour program, but it’s a long time to July. The only difference is that I wont go to Australia; I’m going to Dubai and Oman, then Tirreno before the Classics.”

He has spoken about defending the Yellow Jersey of Vincenzo Nibali at the Tour de France, saying it only brought extra work, not extra pressure.

“We don’t get that much pressure, maybe in the last week from journalists. For sure there is more to do, if you have the yellow jersey you have to control the race, you have to watch every attack. When the riders attack in the first 50 kilometers and the break gets away, as long as there are no important guys there, its OK and it’s easier. But for the first hour or two it can be big stress.”

Grivko has achieved some strong results for himself, such as third and fourth on GC in the last two editions of the Eneco Tour, but he has also been a domestique for some of the sport’s biggest names.

“I’ve ridden for a lot of champions during my career, like Contador, Vino and now Vincenzo. Sometimes I have had good results, maybe a podium, I’ve not won many races, but in my career I have some results and I’m happy for this and that I have ridden the Tour de France many times and for the winner last year. I hope to do the same for another three or four years and I hope the same for the team, especially at the moment in this ‘unpleasant’ period for the team. I hope the team can come back in popularity. In the last few days we’ve had some things written in the papers and on the internet and our popularity has totally gone. Everyone has Twitter and speak about everything, true or not true. But seriously, next year we try to do the same or better results and show the people.”

For his own personal objectives, he wants to do well in the classics and the Classic-orientated Eneco Tour.

“For myself I want to do my best in the Classics and get some bigger results there, I also like the Eneco Tour. Last year I was fourth on general and two years ago I was third, so maybe this year I’ll try to win the race. I want to be up there in the Classics like in Flanders and Amstel; lets see what I can do.”