He does not speak much and rarely opens up to the media. Ever since entering the professional ranks, Michal Kwiatkowski has been a bit of a riddle. After a breakthrough season in 2013, highlighted by 11th place in Tour de France, a marvellous 2014 with rainbow stripes and Strade Bianche victory, Kwiatkowski seemed to lose the momentum and his old focus.
The move from Etixx-Quick Step to Team Sky at the end of 2015 season was a transfer hit, however the first year on Dave Brailsford's team has been probably less successful than the ambitious Pole would have hoped for. Kwiatkowski set the bar high, taking on new training workloads and trying to combine biggest cobbled classics with racing in the Ardennes, while at the same trying to earn a spot on the most competitive Tour de France squad and perform for the national team at the Olympic Games.
Staying on top of the game in a new environment with challenges of different sort proved to be somewhat too demanding for the Polish rider, who concluded the season with a precious victory in E3 Harelbeke and leader's jersey at Vuelta a Espana but yearning for more consistent performances in key races.
ADVERTISEMENT
While neither E3 nor Vuelta were Kwiatkowski's main objectives, the 26-year-old's best performance was arguably the Olympic Games road race, where he orchestrated and executed the plan to mark the growth of Polish cycling with yet another memorable ride and a medal.
Target(s) in sight
Kwiatkowski signed for Team Sky as a classics specialist, and with a proven record of performing in stage races. On his palmares are the Volta ao Algarve (2014), and podium places in Paris-Nice (2015), Vuelta al Pais Vasco (2014), Tour of Britain (2014) and Tour de Pologne (2012).
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
via Cyclingnews Latest News http://ift.tt/2fyvE7D
No comments:
Post a Comment