Lieuwe Westra knows his race schedule until the 2015 Paris-Nice. The Astana rider discussed the new season with the team management at the recent gathering in Montecatini Terme. "Because Vincenzo Nibali goes for Tirreno-Adriatico, the door it open for a nice result," Westra writes on his website . 

The Astana team counts on Westra who was second in the 2012 edition of the Race to the Sun. "The team expects a good performance from me there. My entire pre-season is built around a strong build-up for that race."

The preparation starts in Australia as he will be at the start of the Tour Down Under.

"Then I will do the Tours of Qatar and Oman and then I have two weeks to put the finishing touches on my form for Paris-Nice. Coincidentally, I have just read that there will be a prologue of seven kilometres. For a specialist like me, that sounds good."

After Paris-Nice, the former Dutch time trial champion will ride some of the Ardennes classics.

Westra again wants to focus on his time trialling. "The people from bike supplier Specialized immediately came to me to say that I will be tested extensively during the next training camp in Calpe. Of course it plays a role that there will be a team time trial in the Tour. Everyone who rides there, has to sit perfectly on his bike. But apart from that, I am very curious to see what I can do when I ride an individual time trial in top form."

There is a big chance that Westra will be at Vincenzo Nibali's side at the start of the Tour in Utrecht.

"This year I have proved myself as a hard worker and I was immediately told that I'm in the preliminary selection. That's a nice goal to have.''

A few days ago Westra's future teammate Lars Boom distanced himself from Astana's doping cases.

"Of course we talked about it during training camp," Westra wrote. "It is important to know that things in the continental team are completely independent of us. Furthermore, the Iglinskiy brothers have just been tremendously stupid. Of course we get some negative spotlight byt I am not worried about the  WorldTour license for 2015. I can not imagine that we will not be granted one."