Whenever Michal Kwiatkowski talks to the media, he faces the inevitable questions about his year as world champion. But 2015 has ticked over into 2016, his rainbow jersey has been swapped for Team Sky's black and blue, and the 25-year-old is eager to focus on the future rather than dwell on the past.
“I’m really happy I was able to win the world championships, but just leave it in the past,” says Kwiatkowski with more than a hint of exasperation as he has to fend off another question about the rainbow bands. “Just move forward.”
Looking ahead then, one of the chief issues at play after the Polish rider's move from Etixx-QuickStep to Team Sky is what sort of rider he will become in the coming years. A talented all-rounder, Kwiatkowski is a rider capable of mixing one-day victories like Amstel Gold, Strade Bianche, and the Worlds, with strong stage race showings, such as his win at the Volta ao Algarve, second place at Paris-Nice and País Vasco and, most notably, his 11th place on his debut Tour de France in 2013.
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“His one-day racing pedigree is there for all to see but the question we have to ask ourselves is how far could he go in stage racing,” says Team Sky principal Dave Brailsford after swapping seats with the Pole in front of the media.
“We think he can definitely progress in stage racing, and we’re quite excited to have that opportunity to explore that with him. I think maybe he has to change a little bit in terms of how he approaches stage races, so he can get the best out of himself. So we’ll be working on that with him and see where it goes. It’s exciting.”
For his own part, Kwiatkowski acknowledged stage racing as an increasingly important area of focus, though he was less committal, more hesitant, when contemplating what he might be capable of.
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