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Michael Barry
One of the hardest working domestiques in the peloton – Michael Barry has captivated many cycling fans during his now 14-year pro career through his way with words and an infectious love for the sport.
Riding kilometre after kilometre on the front, Barry has carved out a niche that has seen him compete at the highest level as part of a number of successful teams including US Postal, Discovery Channel and Columbia-HTC.
Despite a selfless work ethic, the Canadian showed strong glimpses of form in 2011 during the late summer, climbing his way into contention in a number of races.
A pair of top-10 stage finishes on the way to 14th at the Tour de Wallonie, as well as 14th at GP de Quebec in his homeland, saw Barry mixing it up at the sharp end despite still playing a team role in each race.
He explains: “The races in Canada for me are nice races because the circuits suit me quite well with the short, steep climbs. But overall the second half of last year I felt really good and I’d like to carry that momentum on into the new season.”
This strong form, coupled with an assured turn in the gruelling Giro d’Italia, saw the team extend the 36-year-old’s contract into 2012.
“The Classics are the first big objective and after that the Giro is another big race I’d like to be a part of,” he adds. “After that I’d love to do the Tour de France again through the summer and the Canadian races are a big objective for me too.
“Last year through the second half of the season you could feel the momentum and that the team was just in a different place. We were feeding off each other and working really well together. I could feel this on teams that I’ve been on in the past and when that happens and everything is in synch you just start to win races consistently.”
