<p>Jonathan Cantwell is pushing ahead into his first season in a WorldTour team and a possible start in the Tour de France. This week he's battling it with the best in the Critérium du Dauphiné, if all goes well, he'll close the race in France and prepare to make his Grand Tour debut with Saxo Bank in the Tour.</p><p>
</p><p>
I'd be quite a jump for the Australian. This year, already at the 'old' age of 30, he only made it into team Saxo Bank. The last few years he has race for third division teams, Fly V Australia and Jittery Joe's in the USA.</p><p>
</p><p>
He's adjusted well. He had a string of top 10s in the Tour Down Under, won twice in the Tour of Taiwan and bounced back from fractured ribs and a punctured lung in the Scheldeprijs. In the Dauphiné, he's one of the few sprinters, but he's pushing ahead for the possibility of racing the Tour.</p><p>
</p><p>
"I'm on the long list of 15 guys that will get cut down to nine. I need to get through this Dauphiné, survive these days and that will put me in a position to fight for a spot," he explained.</p><p>
</p><p>
"Especially when I've had so many ups and downs... To get the opportunity to sign with Saxo Bank was unbelievable. To hop into a Grand Tour in my first season, I'd be the happiest boy alive."</p><p>
</p><p>
With several strong sprinters, his focus would be on helping the Haedo brothers, Juan José and Lucas Sebastian. He'd lead for them, or who knows, maybe have a shot of his own.</p><p>
</p><p>
"The hardest thing here is being a sprinter. In this race 95 per cent of the field are climbers, and they are GC contenders for the Tour as well. They're in great shape and they can all climb three times better than me. Stepping into this race has been about survival," he continued.</p><p>
</p><p>
Cantwell started the Dauphiné to get to know and work with JJ Haedo. Haedo didn't feel well, though, and abandoned in stage two.</p><p>
</p><p>
In the Tour, "I'd be there to lead out [JJ Haedo], but then if I climbed, made it into a small group, I'd have my own shot."</p><p>
</p><p>
He keeps his feet on the ground, though. He still faces the Dauphiné, where this weekend the race goes over the Col de la Colombière and the Col de Joux-Plane. Only after the race, and the selection process, can he think about actually racing the Tour.</p><p>
</p><p>
"I've made a good transition from the states to here. The team seems to be happy for me," he added. "The Dauphiné is just about the building process for me."</p>
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</p><p>
I'd be quite a jump for the Australian. This year, already at the 'old' age of 30, he only made it into team Saxo Bank. The last few years he has race for third division teams, Fly V Australia and Jittery Joe's in the USA.</p><p>
</p><p>
He's adjusted well. He had a string of top 10s in the Tour Down Under, won twice in the Tour of Taiwan and bounced back from fractured ribs and a punctured lung in the Scheldeprijs. In the Dauphiné, he's one of the few sprinters, but he's pushing ahead for the possibility of racing the Tour.</p><p>
</p><p>
"I'm on the long list of 15 guys that will get cut down to nine. I need to get through this Dauphiné, survive these days and that will put me in a position to fight for a spot," he explained.</p><p>
</p><p>
"Especially when I've had so many ups and downs... To get the opportunity to sign with Saxo Bank was unbelievable. To hop into a Grand Tour in my first season, I'd be the happiest boy alive."</p><p>
</p><p>
With several strong sprinters, his focus would be on helping the Haedo brothers, Juan José and Lucas Sebastian. He'd lead for them, or who knows, maybe have a shot of his own.</p><p>
</p><p>
"The hardest thing here is being a sprinter. In this race 95 per cent of the field are climbers, and they are GC contenders for the Tour as well. They're in great shape and they can all climb three times better than me. Stepping into this race has been about survival," he continued.</p><p>
</p><p>
Cantwell started the Dauphiné to get to know and work with JJ Haedo. Haedo didn't feel well, though, and abandoned in stage two.</p><p>
</p><p>
In the Tour, "I'd be there to lead out [JJ Haedo], but then if I climbed, made it into a small group, I'd have my own shot."</p><p>
</p><p>
He keeps his feet on the ground, though. He still faces the Dauphiné, where this weekend the race goes over the Col de la Colombière and the Col de Joux-Plane. Only after the race, and the selection process, can he think about actually racing the Tour.</p><p>
</p><p>
"I've made a good transition from the states to here. The team seems to be happy for me," he added. "The Dauphiné is just about the building process for me."</p>
More...