39-year-old Paolo Tiralongo will begin his eighth season at Astana. In 2017, the Italian veteran is aware that he is coming out of a difficult season where he was far from his level in previous years, and wants to do better. 

"Last season was not very good for me because I have had ups and downs,” he tells the Italian version of Cyclingpro.net. “I had a good start but then I struggled because I picked up a few microbes in winter, until June.”

After recovering his full health, the season of the Italian then really started at the Tour de France, where he had the task of supporting his young leader Fabio Aru. 

"The Tour is always a tough race because there are traps everywhere,” he says. “You must be careful from the beginning to the end of every stage. Our balance sheet was not so bad. Aru didn’t do as we had hoped but I'm happy because we were the only team who tried to attack the Sky guys who were really strong. During the last week, we tried to put them in difficulty but it did not work. We were glad to have tried something. "

While Tiralongo knows Aru can do better, this also applies to himself. The veteran will start the season in Australia at the Tour Down Under where he will quickly show that he is back. 

"I expect a lot of myself. I always want to give more than I can give. I want a good season and I work for it.”

However, with his advanced age, Tiralongo also knows that 2017 may be his last year on the bike. 

"I have to see how my body will handle this year. I will then make a decision for 2018. Either I go on or I leave room for the young rides. If I stop, I will stay in the world of cycling. With 33 years of experience, I could teach the younger riders. But for now I'm focused on my season. "