For a successful rider in their thirties like Michał Kwiatkowski, every time a new season swings around, it can feel like a game of diminishing returns.
While Kwiatkowski will turn 34 in June, his rivals appear to be younger, stronger and more audacious. At the same time the other demands of professional cycling – months away from family, long days of training, just to name two – remain equally significant.
Physiological logic suggests that the longer you’ve spent at the summit of the sport, the greater the chances of falling by the wayside as a new generation takes over. Yet Kwiatkowski remains a leader and servant at Ineos Grenadiers. He can win the biggest races but also guide his teammates to major victories.
As Geraint Thomas, Luke Rowe and Ben Swift have grown into experienced veterans, Kwiatkowski has become a trusted cornerstone of the British super team, both a respected team leader and vital domestique.
2024 marks the tenth anniversary of Kwiatkowski’s breakthrough World Championships triumph in Ponferrada, Spain but there is no sign of him wanting to give in to Old Father Time just yet.
At the last Tour de France Kwiatkowski showed the versatility that’s always characterised his career when he took his first-ever summit finish victory in a Grand Tour at the Grand Colombier. He has twice won Strade Bianche and the Amstel Gold Race, beat Peter Sagan and Julian Alaphilippe to win Milan-San Remo in 2017 and has a palmares packed with other big-race victories.
Kwiatkowski kicked off his 2024 season at the Vuelta Murcia and the Clásica Jaen, riding aggressively in both races to finish fourth and seventh. He is far from done in his career and still competitive with the young riders he calls ‘the bullets.’
They include Remco Evenepoel and Tadej Pogačar but also his many talented young teammates at Ineos Grenadiers. Tom Pidcock has openly praised Kwiatkowski for his support and guidance in races.
“I always say that a third Strade Bianche would be a dream but it’s still so early in the season, so I just hope I can be competitive,” the Polish rider tells Cyclingnews with his ever-optimistic attitude.
“It’s hard to compete with these ‘bullets’ you get in the peloton, the young guys are really dynamic. Maybe now Strade Bianche is a longer race; it’ll suit me better.”
“Before the end of my career, it’d be nice to be competitive in the Olympics and go for a medal maybe. I still haven’t got stages in the Giro and…
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