In his quest to win the Tour de France, Alberto Contador can count on tireless support from Matteo Tosatto who will start his 29th grand tour. The Italian feels that he is back in good condition after a spring season marked by a nasty injury.

Almost no rider has more experience than 40-year old Matteo Tosatto, who will stand at the start of his 29th Grand Tour Saturday. The Italian is one of Tinkoff-Saxo’s nine riders selected to ride the 100th edition of Tour de France.
 
“I’m really happy to be a part of this strong team. We come here with the clear ambition of winning the race with Alberto and I feel that the combination of my current shape and my experience means that I can support the team fully”, says Matteo Tosatto.
 
During the spring following Tirreno-Adriatico, back problems affected Tosatto ability to train and race at full intensity. But the Italian tells that his condition has improved greatly since Tour of Norway in May.
 
“I had back problems after Tirreno but I’m feeling really strong now. The last stages of Tour de Suisse was really hard and my shape has improved a lot after recovering”, the Italian veteran adds.
 
Matteo Tosatto rode his first Tour de France in 1997 at the age of 23. Since then much about him has changed.
 
“The difference between 23-year old Matteo and 40-year old Matteo is the experience and the recovery time. In ’97 I attacked all the time as soon as the stage started. Now I use my energy much more wisely when the opportunities arise. I still have the same power but I naturally need to focus more on recovery, resting after the stages and getting ready for another day”, concludes Tosatto, who’s confident in the team’s chances of standing on top of the podium in Paris.