Kwiatkowski: A Star in the Making
Kwiatkowski is a star in the making, and based on his six victories in the opening months of the 2014 racing season, the sky is the limit for the promising Polish rider who joined Omega Pharma - Quick-Step in 2012.
"I've been watching him since he was 17," said Omega Pharma - Quick-Step general manager Patrick Lefevere. "I knew he was good, but he is already performing at a very high level. It's not a surprise, because we knew he was so talented."
Kwiatkowski started his season off with a bang, winning at his season debut at Mallorca Challenge in Spain. Since then, he's been successful against the best riders in the peloton, winning his first overall title at the Volta ao Algarve in Portugal, the Italian semi-classic Strade Bianche, held on gravel roads across Tuscany, and the prologue to open the Tour de Romandie in Switzerland.
"I am a little bit surprised, but I had a very good winter, and my preparation was perfect coming into the season," Kwiatkowski said. "I entered these races with ambitions. I love riding my bike. I love racing. I want to win."
Kwiatkowski was even more impressive across the hilly classics in the Ardennes. Already in 2013, he put the world on notice with strong performances. This year, he confirmed his pure talent, with fifth at Amstel Gold Race, and third-place podiums at both Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège. The last mentioned, considered one of cycling's five "monuments," was a result that stands out for sport director Davide Bramati.
"He is so good. To see who he was standing with on the podium shows just how much talent he has," Bramati said. "He is a rider who is attaining results that some do not achieve their entire careers. He is a special one."
Kwiatkowski is a cycling prodigy, and began winning races as soon as he got on the bike. He hails from a small town in central Poland, and soon started trailing behind his brother on bike rides.
"There was nothing to do at all. My brother was riding his bike, so I started to follow him. From the first days on the bike, I started to feel great," he said. "My parents were farmers, but now my father works in a factory. The bike was always special for me."
It didn't take long before Kwiatkowski started winning races, including the junior world time trial championships, results that caught the eye of Lefevere.
After turning pro in 2010, he joined Omega Pharma - Quick-Step in 2012, and has continued to make steady progress. In his first year with Omega Pharma - Quick-Step, he was second in his home race at the Tour of Poland. Last year, even more quality results followed, including a breakout performance in the Tour de France, where he was 11th overall and battled for the best young rider's jersey.
"The team has supported me and have allowed me to develop," Kwiatkowski said. "It's great to be on this team. I remember watching Tom Boonen win the world championship in 2005, I was only a boy. Now I am racing with him on the same team. It's the same with Mark Cavendish or Tony Martin. These guys are my heroes, and sometimes it's hard to believe they are my teammates."
Kwiatkowski is certainly proving his worth. His victories this season have come against the biggest names in the peloton, reconfirming his quality as a rider.
"Winning Strade Bianche, that was the most amazing feeling of the year so far. To finish on the Piazza del Campo in Siena, it has to be one of the most amazing finishing lines in cycling. It was the best race to win," he said. "Being on the podium for the 100th edition of Liège was also very special. I hope to go back to be on the top step some day."
How far can he go? Omega Pharma - Quick-Step doesn't want to put too much pressure on him too early, but Kwiatkowski insists he is ready for more.
"I do not think about too much about the future. I want to improve every year, every month, and every race I go to," he said. "People tell me I have to be patient, that I have to work hard. I don't know my limits, but I am trying to make progression every day. I am working on it. I am confident the results will come."
After concluding the Tour de Romandie, Kwiatkowski will take a well-deserved break, and then return for the Critérium du Dauphiné and the 2014 Tour de France in July.