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Fabian Cancellara is a legend in Flanders. With his Tudor team, he stays away from the classic on Sunday and explains why.
Fabian Cancellara and the Tour of Flanders – that fit. The Swiss time trial and classics specialist won the race in 2010, 2013 and 2014 and was also on the podium in 2016 (2nd) and 2011 (3rd). The Bernese was even more successful only at Paris-Roubaix (3 wins and 3 more podium places).
Cancellara, who retired in 2016, has been in charge of the Tudor Pro Cycling team for around a year. In the 2023 season, the team will be on the road as a UCI Pro team for the first time and consists largely of Swiss riders.
Simply presenting our jersey to a breakaway group – I don’t want that.
The Cancellaras team will not be at the start of the Tour of Flanders, which will be held for the 107th time on Sunday (live on SRF Zwei from 2:00 p.m.). The boss explains the absence to SRF as follows: “We are a new team. We need time and patience. We can’t go to the big races and feel like it’s going to work. And just present our jersey a little in a breakaway group – I don’t want that.”
His great successes at the Tour of Flanders could also put additional pressure on the drivers and the staff and inhibit them, Cancellara suspects. “I would like to take part in those races where I can help the team,” said the 42-year-old. In Flanders it could be “too much”.
Being there isn’t everything
Cancellara plans to take part in the Tour of Flanders with his team in 2024. “Next year we’ll be ready and able to make a difference,” promises the two-time Olympic champion in the time trial. As far as his team is concerned, Cancellara has little to gain from the Olympic motto “Being there is everything”.
Cancellara will follow the race on Sunday from the comfort of his home with his family on the sofa. As favorites for the day’s victory, the Swiss like most cycling experts: “I’ll keep an eye on Pogacar, Van Aert and Van der Poel,” he says.
For Cancellara, Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ) is the Swiss who can be trusted the most. With his 6th place in the E3 Harelbeke one-day race, which is part of the World Tour and is considered the dress rehearsal for the Tour of Flanders, he would have shown “that something is possible.” And in the coming year they want to get involved with the Tudor team – with some Swiss at the start – so Cancellara.