Etixx - Quick-Step rider Michal Kwiatkowski met with the media on Saturday in anticipation of Amstel Gold Race, which takes place on Sunday, April 19th. He gives his thoughts about the upcoming race in the comments below.
"The most important thing at Amstel Gold Race is to be awake and in front, with your team supporting you, from the start," Kwiatkowski said. "Anything can happen and you don't need to really know the key point of the race because it is everywhere. You can lose a lot of energy even nine kilometers after the start with the first climb. You have to pace yourself. There are so many important moments. Maybe you cannot win the race in those places, but you can lose it for sure if something unpredictable happens. The favorites are always supported by their teams knowing this and that's why it may seem like a climb like the Cauberg is a key moment. But for sure, there is important work to be done before and after that point. You have to be flexible for the situation of the race and be sure that you have enough teammates around you to react to actions.
"I think a guy like Philippe Gilbert knows so well this climb, and it's not easy to be with him at the top if he were to attack on the Cauberg," Kwiatkowski continued. "But last year I made a mistake of chasing full gas Samuel Sanchez, and I missed the acceleration of Gilbert because of it. I think that was an error on my part. He is well prepared in and in shape, so it won't be easy. But I'm more focused on my effort and where I have to be before the Cauberg, and on the Cauberg, and how fast I need to be climbing it. I'm not really thinking about where Gilbert, or other contenders like Tim Wellens or Michael Matthews, might be in relation to before, on, or after the Cauberg. I'm thinking about myself and what I need to do. As I said, you have to be flexible. They say there will be a tailwind on the Cauberg, which helps for sure the rider who can be alone on the top of the Cauberg. There is a better chance of arriving solo at the final with a tailwind, but anything can happen. Of course I have to have good legs in the final to even consider the situation of going for the victory. I think I have prepared as best I could to be in good condition and be part of the actions for the finale. I just came from Pais Vasco, which is a really difficult parcours and is hard to really determine where you are ahead of the Ardennes Classics. But I think my preparation going into these races, with races like Milano-Sanremo, Paris-Nice, and Pais Vasco, put me in the right direction to be ready for Amstel Gold Race tomorrow."