Having served a 9-month after testing positive for Salbutamol in last year's Giro d'Italia edition, Diego Ulissi is eager to return to racing at Vuelta al Pais Vasco. Knowing that the MPCC rules would allow him to comeback as a part of Lampre-Merida thanks to having an existing contract with the Italian team, the 25-year old rider trained hard during the winter-break, hoping to reach a peak condition for the Giro d'Italia

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Despite preparing himself well for his comeback from the 9-month ban, Ulissi is aware that lack of racing kilometers in legs will make him suffer in his first event of 2015, the Vuelta al Pais Vasco. 

„I'd really like to be at 100 percent for the Giro d'Italia,” the 25-year old Lampre-Merida rider told in the interview for Dorsal 51. „I am aware that in the first race of the season, the Vuelta al Pais Vasco, I'm going to suffer a bit since I have had a long break from racing, but I know I have trained with dedication on demanding routes and it makes me confident about my condition.”

The 25-year old Italian points out to the Giro d'Italia as his main objective for the first part of 2015 season, but the Ardennes classics are also on his schedule. Ulissi promises to do his very best in the hilly one-day affairs, but once again emphasizes that it might be a little bit too early for him to hit the top disposition in April and most likely he will be appointed to work for Rui Costa.

„If I will not be competitive enough to stay in contention, I will not refuse to ride in a support of another Lampre-Merida leader, Rui Costa,” he admitted.

Many tricky stages – similar to those he won in 2014 - included in this year's edition of the Italian Grand Tour make Ulissi even more eager to return to his home stage event, but he wisely refuses to evaluate his chances on repeating such performances before testing himself against other professionals in upcoming weeks.

„There are many stages in the 2015 Giro d'Italia which appear to be similar to those I won in 2014. I aim to be among the best and repeat good results I obtained last year.”

„I would like to evaluate my level of competitiveness during upcoming three weeks, without any pressure, though.”

Reflecting on his far-reaching goals, the 25-year old Italian acknowledges that he is still too young to find out whether he will be able to turn himself into a Grand Tour contender. For now, he remains focused on one-day races and hopes to win a classing in upcoming months.

„I have enough time to improve my different skills and perhaps become a Grand Tour rider,” he explained. „At this point I would like to win a classic, but in the future I will try to be competitive in stage races,” Ulissi concluded.