Maier ready for challenge

Eurosport: On July the 5th you will open the Tour de France 2003. Can you tell us how you got the chance to start in the time trial?

Maier: "It was a bit more fun when we asked organisers a few years ago if it was possible to start on the Tour. At the time, the officials refused our application. So we decided to continue trying until they said &lsquoyes'. To tell you the truth: I never expected to be invited, I was very surprised. Now the time has come, but due to my hectic business schedule I haven't had time to prepare.

But the situation is not as bad, because I have a certain physical condition thanks to Alpine skiing. Anyway I want to make a good performance. I think the race is going to be very tough for me. But it's going to be fun and I'm looking forward to meeting all the great riders from the cycling-circus. I will be very proud to be in Paris when the Tour starts."

Eurosport: Is this one of your greatest dreams?

Maier: "It's for sure something superb for me. I watch nearly every sporting event on TV and I dedicate a lot of hours to cycling. I have thought very often during the Tour, that it's a maniac fight between the riders. That's the difference between cycling and Alpine skiing. Cyclists have to push very, very hard to win. This is a great achievement and it's going to be a lot of fun."

Eurosport: How did you prepare for the time trail?

Maier: "(he laughs&hellip) Not at all! On Friday I received a Time-Trail-Bike, an amazing thing. On Sunday I tried it out for the first time, and up until now I had only ridden on an ergometer or on a normal bike. The Time-Trial-Bike was impossible for me to ride. I had to quit the experiment immediately. After that I took a saw and cut a few parts off, now it's a bit shorter (Maier laughs&hellip)."

No, I will have to exert all my strength because I was not able to train. Today I'm here at the ISPO, on Tuesday and Wednesday I will be in Prague for Austria's 2010 Olympics bid and on Saturday I'm going to start the Race at the Eiffel tower. Like I said before I'm very happy to be there and meet all the people. For sure I will never get a chance like this again in my life. I'll try to do my best. But I'm an amateur and the tour-riders are pros. But I think I will do the time trial in a better way than Lance Armstrong would complete the "Streif" (Downhill in Kitzbühel)."

Eurosport: The Tour-riders whisper that even the slowest rider is faster than you. What do you think about that?

Maier: "That's exactly what I think. At least the riders of the Tour de France are not anybody. They train during years for this tremendous event. It would be unbelievable if a normal skier were faster than a specialist. If things were like this, I think I should have to change sport immediately."

Eurosport: On the other hand the Tour riders think that your muscles will make you a fast rider on the flat parts But how will you cope with the curves on the special Time-Trial-Bike?

Maier: "I hope that I don't ride the "Iron-Technique" and fall in the crowd (Maier laughs&hellip) No, one thing's for sure is that I won't go over my limits. I just hope that the weather will be fine, cause rain would be absolutely horrible, it would surely end in tragedy for me. I will try to ride the curves in a solid way and enjoy a relaxed Time Trail. After the Tour-Action I will concentrate 100 % on the next winter-season."

Eurosport: You are used to the mountains. Wouldn't it be easier for you to ride on a mountain-stage on the Tour, so you can have the advantage on a wild downhill?

Maier: "My possibilities would be good in a downhill, that's true. But with my weight well over 90 kilos I would have no chance against the cycling pros, which have a weight between 60 and 70 kilos. They would "fly away", while I try to climb a mountain on the bike."

Eurosport: What do you think about the chances of the Austrian Tour-Riders like Totschnig, Luttenberger and Haselbacher?

Maier: "I have confidence in the Austrian's strength. Totschnig was in good shape during the Giro d'Italia. We'll see, I will cross my fingers for them."

Eurosport: You had a bad accident and we're very closed to losing your leg. Lance Armstrong had cancer. Both of you had a tremendous comeback. In your mind, do you feel close to Armstrong in any way?

Maier: "I'm very proud to meet him now at the Tour de France. He also got over something really hard. Both cases are very different. But we both had our destiny, which we had to manage. I don't want disappoint the German fans but Lance Armstrong is my favourite to win the Tour again this year."