Despite the fact that he’s only 26, Slovenian sprinter Aldo Ino Ilesic has been riding UCI races since 2004, originally with Slovenian Continental teams Perutnina Ptuj (where he was team mates with Vuelta stage winner, Borut Bozic from 2004 until 2006) and Sava; during that time he won stages in prestigious UCI races such as the Tour of Slovenia, Giro delle Regione and Olympia Tour of Holland.
But a chance to ride in the USA lead to a contract with American Continental squad Team Type 1 for the big man from Slovenia’s capital city, Ptuj. His first US season in 2009 was perhaps a little leaner than he would have liked, with two wins – after eight victories in 2008 – but 2010 saw him lose weight over the winter and six stage wins in UCI races was his reward.
He won three stages in the Tour of Morocco, two stages in the Tour of Rio de Janeiro and a stage in the Tour of Mexico.
But 2011 sees the level of opposition click up a notch with Team Type 1 having successfully applied for UCI Pro Continental status.
Ilesic recently took time out from training in Tuscany to talk to VeloNation about his plans for 2011. He subsequently lined out in the Etoile de Bessèges, where he was a solid third and eighth on stages.
VeloNation: You’re in Tuscany, Aldo?
Aldo Ino Ilesic: Yes, some of the US guys in the team have rented a house here and I’m spending some time training with them. The roads and weather are good here; it’s still very cold back in Slovenia. Another thing that’s awesome is that there are so many pros out on the roads, training here.
It’s about a six hour drive from here to my home in Slovenia but this year, when I’m not racing I’ll be staying there; my programme will be mostly European and I’ll fly in to races. One reason I’ll be spending time in Slovenia rather than Tuscany is that I didn’t realise ‘altitude tents’ are illegal under Italian law, I’m planning to use one this year but obviously can’t use it here.
VN: How did your winter training go?
AI: It went well, I feel good; after doing the GP Marseille, I’ll do Bessèges, Haut Var, the Tour of Sardinia, GP Friuli and the Strade Bianche.
VN: You set out to lose weight over last winter. Was that a factor this year?
AI: No, it wasn’t necessary, my weight is good. This winter I’ve done a lot of climbing to get my system used to the long, hard grind.
VN: Have you met your new team mates yet?
AI: Yes, at our training camp in Atlanta, it was very exciting. We have some big names with us; it’s cool to be team mates with guys like Rubens Bertogliati, Laszlo Bodrogi and Alexander Efimkin.
VN: What do you think of the new toys for 2011?
AI: We’re on the new Colnago M 10; it has a larger bottom bracket and I think it’s even stiffer than my Colnago CX. I’m very happy with it. I was at Colnago in October to get measured for it; I need a custom frame which is longer and lower at the front.
VN: What does going Pro Continental mean to you?
AI: Firstly, we have a better programme; the team will be based in La Spezia in Italy. And then we have more riders, with more riders at a higher level, a bus, a truck for the mechanics and all the support which a big team needs. This is my third year with the team and this is the best vibe we’ve had; there’s a real feeling of cohesion around the squad.
VN: When are you looking to peak for the first time?
AI: Originally I’d hoped to peak for Tirreno and the Primavera but we didn’t get the ride – so now I’m aiming to be at my best for Tour of Friuli on March 3rd and the Strade Bianche two days later.
I’m looking forward to the Strade Bianche; I’ve ridden dirt roads before at the Tour of Battenkill in the US.
I’m also looking to do well in the big US races…California and Philly in particular.
VN: Pro Continental means more UCI tests and ‘whereabouts’ procedures.
AI: For me it’s not a big change, we had those procedures in place at Type 1 already – it’s nothing special.
VN: I saw that Team Type 1 had guys in the wind tunnel…
AI: That was for the GC and TT guys to improve their time trial positions – but it’s something I’ve thought about. One of the reasons that Cavendish is so fast is that he’s so low on the bike; I’d like to improve my sprint position.
VN: What’s your take on the race radio ban?
AI: It’s something that we debate in the team. Some guys want to keep them and some guys wouldn’t miss them, but what’s interesting is that most of the guys who make the decisions about things like that [the UCI] have never been in a bike race.
VN: How involved are you in spreading the Team Type 1 messages about living with diabetes?
AI: I don’t have the condition but now we have guys on both the pro and development teams who have it.
In the past I’ve listened to my team mates sharing their experiences with people who have type one diabetes – you can see in their eyes that they’re discovering that they don’t need to be frightened, they’re inspired by the team guys talking about their race experiences.
VN: What are the goals for Type 1 and Aldo?
AI: A spot in the Giro is the big goal, but to get that we’ll have to have a very, very good spring – people will need to see our name and we’ll have to earn respect. As a sprinter, your aim is always to win, but to start with I’ll have to adapt to Pro Tour racing and see how the opposition operate. If I win then that’s great, but if I lose then I have to learn from that experience.
I have my job to do and I’ll have two sprinters there with me – Andrea Grendene (Italy) and my fellow Slovenian Jure Kocjan. We’ll communicate during races, agree who’s best on the day and who we set up the lead out for.
It’s going to be a great season.