Early GC time gaps don't make much difference to eventual Tour de France podium, argues Ineos' Michał Kwiatkowski
The Polish super domestique says the British team were prepared to spend more energy early to keep GC riders safe, but even that can prove insufficient at the Tour de France

The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Thank you for signing up to The Pick. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
Michał Kwiatkowski thanked journalists for holding an umbrella above him, a couple of raindrops starting to fall on the Ineos Grenadiers' stalwart, and while the inclusion of even a whiff of pathetic fallacy is more disagreeable than the French coffee served at the hotels to the peloton as it makes its way through the Tour de France, the foreshadowing from the Polish rider before the start of yesterday's stage three was precise.
"I always believe anything can be beneficial if you do the right thing. Even today, we will have some rain at the end, probably by the end of the day. Whatever, we just want to be on the right side, anytime, doesn't matter if it's winds, mountains or the time trial, just hopefully we can gain time or [at least] not lose time on those stages. So we're just focusing on doing the right thing today."
The Polish rider was talking about how his team planned to shepherd Geraint Thomas and Richard Carapaz through this tricky opening week of the Tour, and on stage three they found themselves on the wrong side of things, Thomas needing his shoulder popped back in after a crash and having to chase five minutes back up to the peloton.
"Fingers crossed, they go through the tricky opening week of the Tour de France without a scratch. That's the main objective, five seconds here or there, It doesn't make any difference at the moment, in my opinion."
Before the start of stage three, Carapaz and Thomas were already trailing Pogačar and Roglič by 20 seconds or so, but by the end of the day Carapaz had edged ahead of the other three favourites for the yellow jersey, proving Kwiatkowski's thoughts about early time gaps correct, as Pogačar and Thomas finished in the group behind, 20 seconds in arrears, Roglič even further back after his crash inside the final 10km.
Kwiatkowski then pushed back against the notion that Richie Porte and Tao Geoghegan Hart losing time on the first two days makes his and Ineos' job any easier, having to focus on just two GC candidates now, and would prefer if they were in the top four of the overall.
"I would like to see them not losing time. If they lost time because of the crashes on the first day, that's the bad side of it. The good side is they don't have massive injuries and that's the most important thing. I would like to see them, first, second, third and fourth in the GC at the moment, but this is the opening weekend of the Tour de France," he told Cycling Weekly.
"It doesn't make it easier at all, anything still can happen...sometimes it's just an elimination race, and we don't want to eliminate any guys that way. I just want to see the whole team in the front safely and not losing time. That means that we're doing the right thing."
On stage two, the Ineos Grenadiers could be spotted at the front of proceedings up the Mûr-de-Bretagne, burning Porte and Geoghegan Hart, who had already lost time on the first day, in order to keep Thomas and Carapaz out of trouble. This tactic is a balanced choice between trying to keep them out of the way of crashes or splits behind, but at the cost of using extra energy they may need later in the race,
"The tactic is just to make sure that everybody's safe even though we spend a little bit more energy than maybe we should," Kwiatkowski explained. "It's opening weekend, it's all about surviving and avoiding crashes."
As for what he's seen of Pogačar and Roglič so far, Kwiatkowski thinks they look good, but says in tomorrow's time trial and then the first mountains we'll see just where everyone is at in this race.
"They seems to be in really good shape. But the Tour de France is three weeks long, let's see how the legs are of the main contenders on the mountains, and on the first time trial, they are the crucial stages for the GC guys."
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Hi. I'm Cycling Weekly's Weekend Editor. I like writing offbeat features and eating too much bread when working out on the road at bike races.
Before joining Cycling Weekly I worked at The Tab and I've also written for Vice, Time Out, and worked freelance for The Telegraph (I know, but I needed the money at the time so let me live).
I also worked for ITV Cycling between 2011-2018 on their Tour de France and Vuelta a España coverage. Sometimes I'd be helping the producers make the programme and other times I'd be getting the lunches. Just in case you were wondering - Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen had the same ham sandwich every day, it was great.
-
-
'They aren't just good, they're brilliant' - Meet Great Britain's junior super-talents
There’s a golden generation of women coming through the GB ranks
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Primož Roglič confirms he will leave Jumbo-Visma
Giro d'Italia champion does not reveal his destination for 2024 yet, though
By Adam Becket Published
-
Mark Cavendish to postpone retirement and ride on with Astana Qazaqstan, reports
British sprinter reported to have reached agreement with current team to continue racing in 2024
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
In memoriam: Tadej Pogačar's white jersey domination
After 81 days in the young rider's jersey at Grand Tours, the Slovenian has grown up
By Adam Becket Published
-
'They race like juniors': How men's pro cycling is getting wilder and races refuse to slow down
Racing from the gun during a three week Grand Tour is a big ask for even the best and the strongest. Is this the new cycling?
By Adam Becket Published
-
Remco Evenepoel hopes to 'steal' Jonas Vingegaard's secrets at Vuelta a España as he looks to 2024 Tour de France
Belgian aiming for second Vuelta a España triumph over the next three weeks, but faces stiff opposition
By Tom Davidson Published
-
'I thought I was more in the door than I was' - Luke Rowe bares all on Vuelta a España snub
Welshman will not race a Grand Tour this year after he missed out on selection by Ineos Grenadiers
By Tom Davidson Published
-
WorldTour teams have an extra three years to halve carbon emissions before losing license - UCI clarifies
A carbon emissions tracker has been introduced and it is mandatory for all stakeholders to use it
By Chris Marshall-Bell Published
-
‘I hope I get a cow’ - Josh Tarling aiming for the top prize at World Championships
Welshman competing in elite men’s individual time trial on Friday afternoon
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
'All being well I’ll still be racing next year' but 'it's coming to an end' - Geraint Thomas on Ineos Grenadiers future
'It's nice to be arriving at a Worlds in decent nick' says the Welshman ahead of individual time trial in Stirling
By Tom Thewlis Published