Zdenek Stybar & Tom Boonen in Flanders

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Newly crowned World Cyclo-Cross champion Zdenek Stybar & classics hero Tom Boonen train on the roads for the Tour of Flanders before their preparation races

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Omega Pharma – Quick-Step Cycling Team rider Zdenek Stybar trained on the roads of Ronde van Vlaanderen earlier in the day with King of the Classics Tom Boonen and teammate Iljo Keisse. Stybar had plenty to say about his third rainbow jersey in the cyclocross discpline, as well as his next objectives on the road.

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“I was enjoying the race duel with Sven Nys. I knew that before the race I had nothing to lose. I was really fresh and I was absolutely relaxed. I wasn’t nervous so I was enjoying it, and also the crowd were so amazing. I think that kind of spirit at a World championship is something you can only experience two times of year: The first being the World Championship of cyclocross and the second one is Tour of Flanders.”

“I think there’s nothing else to compare. There’s 50,000 people yelling, and it is really something serious and special. I’m really proud of have won the UCI World Cyclocross Championship with an amazing atmosphere like that.”

“Training on the roads of Ronde van Vlaanderen today, it went really good. I’m happy that I have done it because now for the first time I have it already in my mind. I have changed from the cyclocross focus to the road focus. I can go and work hard again. I know what I have to do.”

“I feel pretty good. Finally today I could be again on the bike so I could ride a little of the tiredness and fatigue out of the legs. I’m really happy that I could sweat again. The first two hours I was really suffering. I was tired. But at the end I felt nice, comfortable, and had an overall good feeling. I rode on my Specialized CruX as all my other bikes, my road bikes, are in Mallorca. But anyway, I was happy I could do one last ride on my cyclocross bike.”

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L-R: On the cobbles of Flanders, Boonen, Stybar & Keisse. Photo: photopress.be

“What I have seen today riding with Tom Boonen, he is more than ready for the Classics. He is so motivated and you know most of the time, when the leader is ready, the whole team is ready. Tom was telling me about all of the small details. Where it is good to get in front, where it is good to take it easy, and where there is food you can take.”

“He also told me where the wind is coming most of the time, to relax, and things like that. These are things I can never learn on my own. Those are things you have to learn in the race. So a ride like that, learning from a Classics legend like Tom, you save maybe two years. Because I could ride this course 10 times and still not learn it enough as I would from someone like him.”

“I would never learn it in the experience of the race. So, this is really the proof of the race and I couldn’t have a better person to learn from. As for my participation in a race like Tour of Flanders or any of the Cobbled Classics, first we must see how my shape will develop and then we will see. We will decide with the team.”

“As for my next objectives, from tomorrow I am traveling to Mallorca which is also my first race on my road. From there I am going directly to Oman and after that I will start on my first two Classics here in Belgium”.

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