Rowe Has Spring In His Step

Luke Rowe is confident about his spring Classics campaign after a hard-fought weekend of racing in Belgium.

The Cardiff-born rider just missed out on a podium at the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad on Saturday as he sprinted to fourth spot.

And just 24 hours later Rowe figured in several of the day’s breaks at the Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne race.

The displays have left the Team Sky ace looking ahead to the rest of the sprint races and hoping to continue to make a big impact.

Rowe, 25, said: “I’m frustrated I missed out on a podium, but happy to have been in the thick of the action against some massive names.

“It’ll give me plenty of confidence moving forward.”

Rowe spent the last 60 kms in a five-man breakaway on Saturday in Ghent having gone on the attack with Greg Van Avermaet on the tough Taaienberg climb.

But Rowe saw BMC Racing’s Van Avermaet take the spoils as he outpaced world champion Peter Sagan at the line.

He added:”I did the best I could to be at the front on the Taaienberg.

“After the move had gone it was a matter of us getting our heads down and trying to hold on to the finish. Everyone committed and we managed to do that.

“I gave it everything I had in the sprint, but on a finish like that it’s the strongest rider on the day who wins.

“I didn’t make any technical errors, but when I got out of the saddle I just didn’t have any more to give.

“After a hard race that’s sometimes the way it goes. Your saw the same with Sagan, you’d normally back him to beat Van Avermaet, but that unpredictability is what makes the Classics special.

The following day Rowe finished 84th at Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne having tried to set-up the race for Sky team-mate Elia Viviani’s until he fell out of contention on the cobbles.