Not possible to do full cobbled Classics and Ardennes campaign, says Michal Kwiatkowski
The former world champion says he had to prioritise the Ardennes races and skip most of the cobbled Classics this year, except the Tour of Flanders
Michal Kwiatkowski (Team Sky), racing the Tour of Flanders Sunday, fine-tuned his spring campaign knowing that he could not risk his Ardennes Classics run with all the cobbled Classics beforehand.
He took a two-week break after Milan-San Remo, preferring not to race the other cobbled Classics E3 Harelbeke, Ghent-Wevelgem and Dwars door Vlaanderen favoured by his Flanders rivals.
>>> Vincenzo Nibali: ‘I’m not going to risk my season in the Tour of Flanders’
"Of course my biggest goal this year is to be in really good shape in the Ardennes, so I was thinking what I should do to be in the best shape," Team Sky's Polish star said.
"I was watching those races. There are no regrets that I wasn't here. It was the best decision to skip those races because they look really tough and that was some hard racing which I would probably never recovered from."
Kwiatkowski won the Volta ao Algarve and Tirreno-Adriatico stage races this season so far. Taking time off after Milan-San Remo, allows him to arrive ready for three-week run that includes the Tour of Flanders, the Vuelta al País Vasco stage race starting the next day in Spain and the three Ardennes Classics.
Sky chartered a jet to make sure he arrives as fresh as possible in Bilbao for País Vasco.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
The rain fell hard and the temperatures remained around 6°C in Belgium over the last week and a half. One of his biggest Ardennes rivals, Philippe Gilbert (Quick-Step Floors) raced E3 Harelbeke and Ghent-Wevelgem after finishing in San Remo.
Before heading to the Amstel Gold Race, Gilbert will compete in both cobbled Monuments Tour of Flanders, as defending champion, and Paris-Roubaix.
"If I raced Harelbeke all the way though Flanders and, I don't know, País Vasco, I wouldn't have recovered for the Ardennes," he added.
Kwiatkowski rode "heavy sessions" on the Côte d'Azur where he lives, and even began some of those days training early so that he could return home to watch his Flanders rivals.
"I was watching those races and I never took a nap after training," he explained. "When you're out for five or six hours, five o'clock is the time you might normally take a nap, but I was watching the finals so I couldn't. It was exciting racing."
Kwiatkowski skipped Flanders in a successful 2017 season that saw him win Strade Bianche and Milan-San Remo, be the star helper for Chris Froome in the Tour de France and finish things off with a Clásica San Sebastián victory.
Flanders insiders have him marked as a favourite, however. In 2016, he made the winning move after the Taaienberg climb that pulled along Peter Sagan and Sep Vanmarcke. Sagan dropped Kwiatkowski on the Oude Kwaremont and Vanmarcke on the Paterberg to win solo in Oudenaarde.
"Of course, in that moment when I launched my move, I thought that I should go earlier because Geraint Thomas was the main leader at that time. I over-estimated my possibilities and the possibilities of Peter Sagan at that time. It was a strange move," said Kwiatkowski.
"If I could do it again, I think, I'd try to save more energy. It was a different sort of race that year as a favourite after winning E3 Harelbeke. It was completely different from my past experience racing for Quick-Step as a supporting rider."
Kwiatkowski will begin Flanders as the leader with star riders supporting including Ian Stannard, Gianni Moscon and new hire Dylan Van Baarle, fourth in 2017.
"I've done everything to prepare myself equipment-wise, there will be no surprise with tyre pressure or anything. I think that's really important to test before you hit the main race which is Flanders," he added.
"The Ardennes is the main objective, but when I'm on the start of Flanders, I won't care."
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
Gregor Brown is an experienced cycling journalist, based in Florence, Italy. He has covered races all over the world for over a decade - following the Giro, Tour de France, and every major race since 2006. His love of cycling began with freestyle and BMX, before the 1998 Tour de France led him to a deep appreciation of the road racing season.
-
Among market turmoil, Colnago boasts €55 million in sales: CEO shares the brand’s secret
Colnago’s growth has tripled since the brand’s acquisition by new majority stakeholders in 2020 and seems impervious to the downturn. Here's why.
By Anne-Marije Rook Published
-
Why e-bike torque numbers matter more than you think
You should choose an e-bike based on torque, not just power
By Paul Norman Published
-
'It was time to change': No regrets for Rod Ellingworth after leaving Ineos Grenadiers
New Tour of Britain race director says he is still on good terms with Dave Brailsford after resigning from team last year
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
'I’m just here to enjoy it': Tom Pidcock on his surprise Paris-Roubaix appearance
British rider was a late addition to the Ineos Grenadiers team for the race across the pavé
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Elisa Longo Borghini pips Kasia Niewiadoma on the line to win second Tour of Flanders
In-form Italian praises Lidl-Trek team after repeating feat she achieved in 2015
By Tom Davidson Published
-
'It's one of the hardest races I've ever done' - Mathieu van der Poel on his historic Tour of Flanders victory
World champion becomes seventh man in history to win the race three times
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Mathieu van der Poel wins record-equalling third Tour of Flanders with 45km attack
Dutchman pulls off audacious long-range coup to claim Monument victory
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Wout van Aert’s Classics dreams go up in smoke, but all is not lost for Visma-Lease a Bike
Attention turns to another promising squad member after their talisman is ruled out of Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix and Amstel-Gold Race with 'several fractures'
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Wout van Aert 'in a good place' ahead of Tour of Flanders despite Visma-Lease a Bike illness and injury crisis
Loss of Christophe Laporte and Dylan van Baarle 'a big blow' says DS Grischa Niermann as team builds for Monument double header
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Five things to look out for ahead of the Tour of Flanders
Lidl-Trek's impressive form and Mathieu van der Poel's explosive start to the Classics season could make for quite the contest this weekend
By Tom Thewlis Published