He had a few digs on his Tour de Yorkshire debut in 2015. Now Dexter Gardias wants to make one stick and spend a day up the road.
The 26-year-old, from Witney in Oxfordshire, is dreaming of making a breakaway in the three-day stage race, which begins in Bridlington on Friday (12.45pm).
However, he knows his BIKE Channel Canyon team have plenty of cards to play in the UCI 2.1 contest, which climaxes in Fox Valley, Sheffield on Sunday. He said:
“We have a strong team and it is a great shop window. It is a good old thrash, there are no excuses and I’m looking forward to it.
“You probably find an extra few watts from somewhere in a big event like this. But it is just a bike race, so you have to go through the same processes you would do normally.
“A lot will depend on the weather and what the big teams want to do. There are a lot of factors in there but for me I would like to get in a break.
“I would like to get down the road and have a good day out. I had a little cameo appearance on a climb or two in 2015.
“But I didn’t get in a break, so that would be nice this time. I have a bit more confidence now, so personally I would like to do that.
“With that said, we do have guys who are capable of a top 10 or top 15 in the overall and have Chris who will be fighting it out to win a stage.
“That is massive. We actually have that capability within the team, where a lot of the smaller teams may not. So it is exciting because we have options.”
Gardias showed his strength as he finished fourth in the Chorley Grand Prix earlier this month, although was left frustrated at missing out on a podium.
Last weekend he powered to glory in the Stockbridge Down Road Race. And while it was only a National B, the former ONE Pro Cycling man is hoping it is a sign his form is moving in the right direction.
Now the biggest challenge of the season stands before the team, with a gruelling final stage featuring around 3,500m of climbi
