Benoît Cosnefroy, declared winner last year before finally being ranked second in the photo-finish behind the Pole Michel Kwiatkowski, returns to the Amstel Gold Race on Sunday without thinking too much about the emotional lift experienced in 2022 and with the ambition to do better. In short, to win. “Don’t wait for me to tell you that I’m sad about what happened last year, assured the Frenchman to AFP. No ! I am even proud and happy of what I achieved that day. I wish everyone to arrive in a two-man sprint for the win in such a big race”.
“Of course, there is a line missing from my list. I had only enjoyed the happiness of the winner for a few minutes but I am looking to the future and the objective will necessarily be to do better this time. Earn”. At 27, the leader of the AG2R-Citroën team is in good shape. Third Wednesday of the Flèche Brabançonne won by his teammate Dorian Godon, he is logically one of the favorites. Even if, according to him, Tadej Pogacar will again be the man to beat.
The presence of the Slovenian, who announced his arrival only a few days ago, seriously reshuffles the cards. “Inevitably, the race will not be the same as if he were not there”, admits Cosnefroy. “I’m not sure it will be as easy as that for him to isolate himself as he can do like on a Tour of Flanders. The main difficulty of the Amstel is located 30 kilometers from the finish. And there will be no surprise effect: he will want to attack, because Pogi always attacks, and everyone will want to take his wheel, ”says the 2017 U23 world champion.
To reach his peak of form when approaching the triptych which will end in a week with Liège-Bastogne-Liège, four days after the Flèche Wallonne from which he took 2nd place in 2020, the native of Cherbourg modified his traditional preparation program which, for once, went through the Tour of Flanders at the beginning of April. “I love the Ardennes but, for me, the most beautiful race in the world is the Ronde. As a bike fan, I wanted to race it. I prepared it for E3 Classic. I’m glad I did it even if the risk of falling is great. The atmosphere is incomparable.
“A Grand Tour, the Tour des France, is perhaps prestigious and a stage victory will have more impact in France than even a prestigious success elsewhere. But what makes me dream are the classics, says Cosnefroy. My victory last year in Quebec only resonated with real connoisseurs. That’s a shame. But she was very important to me.
On Sunday, Vincent Lavenu’s protege will be on a track he likes, that of “circuit” type races. “I like these races where we often pass in the same place”, explains the last winner of the GP of Quebec, on the circuit of the old Canadian city. I love the management side of these events where I know you have to save yourself in one place, restart in another. This mode of racing is rather an advantage for me”, he assures.