Michal Kwiatkowski is heading into Strade Bianche boosted by a win he admits he wasn’t expecting at the Volta ao Algarve.
The Pole demonstrated his form with victory on stage two in Portugal and then infiltrated the break on the final day and forged clear to take his second stage of the race and seal the overall title.
“Having the victory at Algarve in the pocket gives me a boost. As well, it tells me that everything has gone well over the winter. I didn’t expect to race so well in the Algarve but at the end of the day I know how hard I worked and how important this period is, from Strade Bianche until Liege for me.”, said Kwiatkowski.
“It was a really good boost at the right moment and even with the weather being so bad right now I know that I have nothing to change, nothing to chase, I just need to stay healthy. This rain, snow and everything will not stop me. That’s a really good mental boost.”
Kwiatkowski will be chasing a record-equalling third victory on the famous white roads on Saturday in a race which it’s clear he loves.
“The landscapes are just amazing. Riding those white roads on the bike, you feel free. Training on them is completely different to normal – just two or three cars passed us. The roads just feel empty and you feel completely different.
“We did more than five hours on Wednesday. We started the recon just before the Montalcino climb and did about 110km of the race, which was really nice. With Leo [Basso], Salva [Puccio] and Gianni [Moscon], we had a really nice day. I enjoyed it a lot. We had blue sky and sunshine, and with snow everywhere the views were amazing.
“The period between Algarve and Strade has been really good for me. I stayed in Nice and did lots of good training with the guys there, then we decided to come down here a day earlier than planned for the recon because the weather wasn’t looking so good. It was a late call, to come down to Tuscany early, but in the end we rode much further than we would have done. It was horrible on Thursday and we weren’t really able to do any kind of ride!”
If it is indeed a mud bath on Saturday then Kwiatkowski is ready and, with a strong team behind him, he’s hopeful of competing for the title.
“I’m prepared for that. You have to be strong mentally, that’s for sure, but I have nothing to be afraid of. The only things I need to take care of is trying to stay safe and not making any risky or stupid moves. That’s part of Strade Bianche – you need luck on your side as well.
“The racing is just pure. The strongest guy always wins. It’s such a great spectacle for the people watching it. It’s one of those races when you switch on the TV at 2pm it’s sometimes too late. It’s always going from the gun, the first, second, third, fourth gravel sector. That’s what everyone enjoys, this kind of racing. We know what’s coming. It’s going to be a big war.”
