First goal of the season is coming up

You said you were looking forward to the classics, what are your ambitions?Before the season kicked off I already said that I would target these races, it is my first highlight of the season. I hope everything will be fine and I will be able to show my best qualities.  After having tuned up some details with my coach I´m well prepared. I couldn’t  have done more in my prep and we focused on every detail.  Hopefully, luck will be on our side. The weather forecast finally looks good for Sunday and next week so we could see a nice spectacle.Are you going to be the leader for all the Ardennes classics?I am going to be the leader for the Amstel and Alberto Contador is going to join us at the Fleche Wallone and Liege-Bastogne-Liege. We will see who will have the better legs during the race. We have no problem sharing the captain role.Which of these three races suits you best?In my view, the Liege is the hardest one. It is a race for climbers. My favorite classic is the Amstel Gold Race because of its twisting course and many short climbs. I finished in 5th position three years ago. We know very well the finish from the last year WC race but the final circuit is slightly changed. The finish line is about 1.5km further along the road on the Cauberg climb. We are going to do a reconnaissance ride of some key sections on Saturday.What about the Fleche Wallone?I like this race least of those three classics because the finish features a short sharp climb, which is not my cup of tea. But I also tried to work on my weaknesses in my prep. Is your Sunday´s leadership role going to put you under a lot of pressure?I have to learn to live with it. Over the years I´ve grown accustomed to dealing with this kind of pressure. I know that I did my best in the training. It is important to stay calm and never let the increased pressure enter your mind.Who do you consider the biggest contenders for victory at the Amstel?Gilbert showed that he is on form and Sagan is strong as well but it is hard to predict because about twenty riders can fight for a victory at the Amstel Gold Race.The Basque Tour didn’t work out as you expected…What went wrong?When I saw the start list I told myself that I could make top ten. I cannot say that something went wrong. I just made a mistake in the fourth stage. I didn’t have enough cloths on and I suffered from the chilly weather. I lost some time and then it was clear that I stood no chance for a solid overall result. So I reconsidered my ambitions and focused on helping Alberto.So it didn’t throw you off the balance…It was no big deal. I have gotten used to not being troubled by every failure. I know what I did wrong and learnt from my mistakes.