Luke Rowe: 'It’s time to step up and try to deliver a Classics result, it’s as simple as that'
‘I’m confident and my form is better than ever,’ the Welshman says

Vital to Team Sky’s success at Paris-Nice, where he coached race winner Egan Bernal through the mayhem caused by the crosswinds that hit the race over its first three days, Luke Rowe came out of ‘the Race to the Sun’ with his form good, confidence high and determined to put two years of setbacks in the Classics behind him.
>>> The Monuments: Cycling’s five biggest one-day races
“For one reason or another over the last two years things haven’t gone my way,” Rowe told Cycling Weekly in Nice. “I’ve finished Paris-Roubaix in an ambulance the last two years, but this year I’m confident and think my form is better than ever.”
The Welshman believes that the one ingredient that he has been missing in the Classics is a bit of good fortune, and hopes he will find that at Milan-San Remo and, particularly, during the subsequent three weeks that he will spend in Belgium, culminating with leading Sky’s attack at Roubaix.
“Everything has to go right on the day, because to an extent you’re a lottery when you’re in those races,” he said.
“The fire in the belly is there and I want to step into them and try to get a result. Two or three years ago I was knocking on the door and looked like I was going to make a breakthrough, but I haven’t taken that next step forward in the last year or two. It’s time to step up and try to deliver a result, it’s as simple as that,” said Rowe.
Reflecting on Bernal’s Paris-Nice success, Rowe explained that Sky had taken a calculated risk by weighting its team with several climbers and with the Welshman as the one specialist rouleur to support the Colombian and Michał Kwiatkowski over the first three days on flatter roads open to the wind.
“We took a risk that we could deal with what might happen in the early days and go into in the second half still in the contest, and that paid off. Then we knew that we were in a great position. The last few days the small guys have stepped up and we’ve come out on top,” said Rowe.
The Welshman paid fulsome tribute to Bernal’s performance, suggesting that it augurs well for his future role as a Grand Tour leader. “There are GC guys who can ride in crosswinds, but there are others who can’t, and it hampers them throughout their career. You know that as soon as there’s one crosswind day they are out of the equation,” said the Welshman.
“But Egan, he’s just got it, and that’s instantly going to put him on the front foot in most GC races and Grand Tours. It’s a massive weapon to have. He wants to learn, he was asking questions, but essentially he’s just a class act.”
Rowe revealed that the Colombian did get a little nervous when compatriot and rival Nairo Quintana went clear on the final stage and became the leader on the road, but essentially remained calm.
“If you’re not calm in situations like that, you just use up energy, thinking and overthinking, being worried.
“Staying calm in situations like that demands a lot, but once you’ve developed that level of trust in your team-mates, when you can say to yourself, ‘I’m going to follow these guys whatever and wherever because I know they’re going to do the best by me, and I trust them,’ and we’ve developed that now, that level of trust and commitment.”
Thank you for reading 5 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
-
-
Doing more cycling in the 'sweetspot' training zone could revolutionise your fitness - here's why
The ‘comfortably hard’ zone just below FTP promises sweet rewards for your aerobic fitness, but how much and how often is best for you? Pro coach Brendan Housler explains
By Brendan Housler • Published
-
Are you getting the most out of Strava? Five tools to enhance your Stava experience
Whether it’s deeper analysis, stitching together activities or showcasing your ride, there’s a lot more you can do with Strava integrations
By Stefan Abram • Published
-
Is this Ineos Grenadiers' Tour de France team? Geraint Thomas teases with eight-man training squad photo
It would not be a surprise to see the same faces in Copenhagen
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Richard Carapaz is ready for whatever the Giro d'Italia final week throws at him
Ecuadorean's confidence bolstered by the strength of his Ineos Grenadiers team
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Ineos Grenadiers insist they had a 'good day' on stage four of the Giro d'Italia, amid confusing tactics
The train returned, but Pavel Sivakov was dropped on Mount Etna
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Pavel Sivakov: 'I’m really happy to be back to my level'
Ineos Grenadiers rider in break at Tour of the Alps, caught with under 10km to go
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Bradley Wiggins: Ineos Grenadiers victory at Paris-Roubaix was 'typical Dave Brailsford'
Former Tour de France winner spent the day on a motorbike covering the race
By Adam Becket • Published
-
'You gotta love bike racing don't you, it's the best thing in the world' — Ben Turner after a dramatic first Paris-Roubaix
Ineos Grenadiers rider claims 11th after crashing, but sees teammate win race
By Adam Becket • Published
-
From finishing outside the time limit to winning Paris-Roubaix, Dylan van Baarle 'buzzing' after victory
Dutch rouleur claims first Paris-Roubaix for Ineos Grenadiers after 12 years of trying
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Ineos Grenadiers head to Paris-Roubaix without one 'pure leader', but lots of options
Filippo Ganna is a favourite for the race, but says he doesn't know why
By Adam Becket • Published