Dubai: Elia Viviani is planning to give himself an early birthday gift at the Dubai Tour which starts on Tuesday.
Team Sky rider Viviani, who turns 28 on February 7 — three days after the fifth and final stage of Dubai Tour — is fresh from last week’s Vuelta a San Juan in Argentina where he finished behind a strong QuickStep combination led by Tom Boonen and Fernando Gaviria.
“I’ve been here a few times already and each time it has been at least a second place for me. I think it is my time now to win this Tour outright,” Viviani told Gulf News.
“The birthday is a huge motivation. For the past two years I have celebrated by birthday during the Dubai Tour. But this year my special day is three days after the race and I hope I can present myself with that lovely trophy as a really good birthday gift to myself,” he smiled.
At last week’s Vuelta a San Juan, the Italian was in the overall lead, courtesy of four bonus seconds. But with a strong QuickStep team consisting of Boonen and Gaviria among others, Viviani knew that a second position was al he could be realistic about. “That was disappointing to an extent because I knew I could have had my first win of 2017,” Viviani related.
“Such early wins can do a lot for one’s confidence. It was one big chance to get that first win and go into the Dubai Tour with an extra boost. But overall, I am happy with the way I have been shaping up during the winter and I am looking forward to some lovely weather and a good week here in Dubai,” he added.
Viviani had threatened to show his true potential especially during the last two years. A member of Team Sky since 2015, he grabbed his first Grand Tour stage victory at the Giro d’Italia on May 10 that year. Heading towards the finish in a bunch sprint, the Italian finished ahead of Moreno Hofland and Andre Greipel.
In the Tour of Britain, the Italian topped in the first, third and eighth stages, while also continuing with his steady show in the Middle East with stage wins in the second and fourth stages at the Abu Dhabi Tour.
In 2016, Viviani won the Second Stage in Dubai to finish behind new champion Marcel Kittel. However, his true moment of greatness came in August last year as he went on to win gold in the Omnium at the Rio Olympics.
“The Olympic gold changed my life in a big way,” Viviani admitted.
“I thought I would have enough time to go and get something at the World Championships. But there was very little time in between to be ready for an event of that stature. But at the moment I am feeling just fine and the focus will be on the sprints,” he asserted.
