This season, it was reported that Michael Roger tested positive at the 2013 Japan Cup, which he won. Suspended, the Australian rider completed a re-evaluation of this mental and physical approach to cycling. The Tinkoff-Saxo rider was able to return to racing and lined out in Liège-Bastogne-Liège. He ridded the Giro d’Italia and took two stage victories.

"It was obviously a different season for me. It was very training-based. I actually took a lot away from that. I learned how important training is, specifically a lot of short training. I totally changed the way I carried out the whole training process and the planning of training. I will take that into next year. I’ll probably do less racing and a lot more training.The plan will basically be to race and to identify areas where I am lacking. I can then take time out and then work on those lacking areas, addressing them, then bring the improvements it into the next race", he told CyclingTips.

He was triumphant on stage 11 to Savona and the emerged best on the penultimate stage, to the summit of Monte Zoncolan. He decided to ride the Tour de France to help his leader, Alberto Contador. But, the Spaniard crashed out, he triumphed on stage 16 into Bagnères de Luchon.

"The second stage win in the Giro was a huge confidence boost for me. I think it verified that the training I had done was working. The first one was a bit of a surprise and maybe I was lucky. During the Tour stage, I had laser focus. I know that especially if it came down to the final with those guys I would be really competitive. So I drew a lot of those experiences. Especially those in the Giro."

He explained he changed his view of cycling : "I mean what I had been through in the winter with the clenbuterol case. That absolutely changed me mentally, there is no doubt about that. I probably took things a little bit for granted, over time, and I think I got into a rut in my cycling career. I certainly had a mental limit and was scared to break through my comfort zone. But those kind of issues just fell by the wayside when I went through my clenbuterol case."

"When I came out of it, I think I was sick of being frustrated. Before that I was always trying to save energy, save energy, save energy for the next day. Then the next day you save energy again and all it was causing was a bunch of frustration for me.My motto this year was that I had to be in it to win it. And if I tried and didn’t succeed, I took something positive away that I almost got there, I almost won. But if you never try and you fail, it just led to endless frustration for me. I wasn’t prepared to carry around those suitcases of frustration on my back. I really wanted to eliminate that. If you are able to break through that wall… I think you saw my emotions when I won the Tour stage. I think that winning that battle with yourself was a more important feeling than the actual result itself."