Kristoff feel “OK” to start the Gent-Wevelgem – Dagbladet.no

(Procycling.no): E3 Harelbeke was a “slit” where it went “heavily throughout the race” for Alexander Kristoff. Friday’s rehearsal before the Tour of Flanders, putting no top result for Katusha rider who crossed the finish line a scant seven minutes behind winner Michal Kwiatkowski of Team Sky.

After the finish to Swede presumably conclude that the recent illness had left its mark on the performance in the 200 kilometer cobblestone classic. Kristoff would not then exclude their participation in Gent-Wevelgem and confirmed to procycling.no on Saturday that he most likely compete in Deinze Sunday morning.

– I starting tomorrow if it feels like now. Feels OK, so we’ll see if the legs are better tomorrow, says Kristoff.

Kristoff was ill during the Paris-Nice, where he chose to stand by until the final stage in Nice. In Milan-Sanremo however, he was back on track and said he had never felt so good over Poggio. On Via Roma sprinted he into an approved No.6, despite failing communication with opener Jacopo Guarnieri. A performance in E3 Harelbeke thus came rather unexpectedly for last year’s Tour of Flanders winner.

– I had no legs and I was always behind. At one point Fabian Cancellara in the same group and we worked together with his team. I had still not a good feeling. I knew we had a chance since Cancellara sat there. But to be quite honest, I had no chance, told Kristoff after the finish Friday.

The day before Gent-Wevelgem has Kristoff expressed satisfaction with a leisurely workout to save battery power the most.

– I hope to have better legs forward, otherwise I will not get as many victories. It was not only the climbs that I felt bad, but more generally. Wevelgem usually ends in a sprint, so it should suit me better.

Kristoffer Katusha-team mate Sven Erik Bystrøm revealed against Haugesund Avis that his form was not on top in E3 Harelbeke, but confirmed to procycling.no on Saturday that he too will start Sunday’s classic.

– I’ll start tomorrow. Is not quite 100 percent healthy, but as yet there is no crisis, says Bystrøm who entered eleven minutes behind Kwiatkowski in Friday’s race.

The rest of Katyushas layer to the 78. edition of Gent- Wevelgem consists of Jacopo Guarnieri, Marco Haller, Viacheslav Kuznetsov, Sergey Lagutin, Michael Mørkøv and Alexander Porsev.