Michal Kwiatkowski punched the air several times as he arrived alone and victorious in Siena’s Piazza del Campo, celebrating a well-deserved win at Strade Bianche but also enjoying his return to success after a difficult first season with Team Sky.
The 26-year-old Polish rider had not won a race since last year’s E3 Harelbeke. He started the 2016 season very skinny, but failed to finish a long series of stage races. He seemed a shadow of the rider who soloed to victory at the 2014 World Championships and won the 2015 Amstel Gold Race.
Kwiatkowski cuts a diminutive figure compared to the bulk of the Cobbled classic contenders. He is also softly spoken and clearly emotive yet was not afraid to reveal he had endured a difficult 2016.
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"I’m very happy to win, but it wasn’t all or nothing," Kwiatkowski said during the winner’s press conference with the written media at Strade Bianche. "I’m very happy with how it went. I had a lot of difficulties last season, but now I’m happy with the current situation.
"I was maybe pushing myself to the limit too much to impress everyone last year. I’m not a machine, and sooner or later you pay the bill. I wasn’t happy but had great support from the team with my health problems and not finishing races, they always believed in me. I didn’t lose my talent, I just had to wait and work hard to get back on the level.
"Before I started training [for 2017] I tried to stay calm. My main goal was to be back at my level. I’m just happy to be having fun on my bike again."
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