A debut outing in the rainbow jersey, Michal Kwiatkowski hopes, will help him to complete the Classic of the Falling Leaves for the first time.
And in the colours of world champion, Kwiatkowksi could well do even better than that, having proved himself as among the big-name contenders this season.
Victory in Ponferrada was Kwiatkowski’s third one-day win of the season, after a win at Challenge Mallorca and Strade Bianche victory, while he was twice on the podium at the Ardennes Classics.
Kwiatkowski’s climbing ability is undoubted, though he appeared to struggle at the Tour de France as he combined a key lead-out role with the responsibilities of being Omega Pharma-Quickstep’s GC man.
In a one-day race, with a strong team boasting the likes of Gianluca Brambilla, Rigoberto Uran and Wout Poels, however, he undoubtedly has a chance.
His ambitions, however, according to the Pole himself, amount only to giving a good showing in the rainbow jersey – perhaps they might change come race day.
