After a strong season, the Ukrainian Mark Padun has joined forces with EF Education-EasyPost and is now opening up about last year's Critérium du Dauphiné.
"Some people have written things without foundation," Padun said on an interview with L'Équipe. Last season Padun, riding for Bahrain - Victorious, won the queen stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné to La Plagne under poor raining conditions, to the surprise of many.
In the next day he went on and joined the breakaway to take a second consecutive win, in Les Gets. After this set of wins the cycling world was shaken by a considerable amount of rumours and insinuations that the 25-year old climber was not riding clean.
After the Dauphiné he went on to finish third in the Vuelta a Burgos before taking part in the Vuelta a España where he played a supporting role for Jack Haig and Gino Mäder.
Padun also responded to the insinuations and opened on how these have been taken by him: ""He came from nowhere". That's all wrong. It was very unpleasant, disgusting. I was robbed of the joy of my victories."
"For me, it’s difficult to get down to my race weight and maintain it. When I get there, I fly, but keeping that form is a big struggle. You have to push yourself hard, but not too much, which was my error. I put too much stress on my body, I fell ill, I was empty."
Now with the American team, he doesn't yet have a Grand Tour schedule made public for the upcoming season. He's expected to be at Tirreno-Adriatico, Itzulia Basque Country and the Tour of Romandie, after his planned season debut in Spain's new stage race Gran Camiño which will take place in Galicia in late February.
