Roman Kreuziger – Unofficial
What does this victory mean for you?I´m extremely happy. It is my first victory at one of the classics and it makes me even more happy that I pulled it off at the Amstel, the race I´ve always liked. I said before the classics that I was on form and now I have a proof that I wasn’t just talking nonsense. I was very confident since I did a lot of work on the bike. I know how hard I practiced and together with my coach we were convinced that I could do really well. It is great it worked out that way.When you rode away from the small breakaway group with 7km to go, were you confident you could win?I was. When you ride a classic you have to bet all your money on one card. It is a do or die scenario. But I told myself that the chasers in the peloton had to be on their limits as well and since we only had an advantage of several seconds I didn’t want play the waiting game. Later on, the race officials told me that I had a lead of 15 seconds but the final Cauberg was never-ending. The spectators cheered me on, which was an enormous help but all I could do at that moment was to keep riding. It was obvious that the riders behind me took turns to catch me and it was their advantage in those windy conditions but in the end, I stayed clear and even managed to gain some seconds on them. When I passed the 500m to go banner I knew I would clinch the win. I think I put in a great deal of hard work to take that victory and nobody can say that I was just in luck.How much do you value your Amstel Gold Race victory?It carries a lot weight but I don’t want to compare it with other races. I´ve won a prestigious classic and I´m happy not only for me but also for the team´s sake. I have to thank all my team because the guys did an outstanding job today. I wouldn’t have done it without them. I´ve received many congratulations and unfortunately, I can´t respond to all of them. I want to thank all my fans for their support and I hope I made them happy. A part of the victory belongs to them as well.Are going to ride the Fleche Wallone race in a more relaxed mood?I want to enjoy both races. I might feel more relaxed but I´m definitely going to fight for the best possible result. I have really good legs and I would like to show my form in other races, too. We´ve successfully begun the Ardennes Classics and it would be great to wrap it up in a similar fashion as a team. Tonight we are going to have a toast, share the victorious moments and tomorrow we will have to start thinking about another race again.
