Jhonatan Narváez: "I would totally change Latin American cycling if one day I win a great classic"

Jhonatan Narváez is set to start the Giro d'Italia today, however on a recent interview he talked about his main goals for the coming years which will revolve around the cobbled classics, where he impressed this year.

In an interview with El Cycling Podcast, Narváez talked about his classics campaign - in which he was sixth at E3 Saxo Bank Classic, and was a part of INEOS' very successful campaign. “I'm doing well in the spring classics, I want to keep getting to know them and win some of them. They are good for learning more things, like making a curve, moving in a pack. They are races to learn and be a better racer," he told.

“This year I focused more on the classics, on being aware of the tire pressure and those things that are so important. You have to be strong and smart to be ahead in these races," he added, and revealed that his goals in the future revolve around the classics: “I would totally change Latin American cycling if one day I win a great classic. They are races that I like, that are going well for me, so I will try again."

Narváez developed as a puncheur, and has gotten his biggest career success at hilly stages at the Giro d'Italia and Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali. He has however, over the year, been transitioning into a classics rider. At 25 years of age, he's possibly not yet reached his full potential, and dreams of winning on the cobbles.

“In Ecuador everyone thinks that if you can't climb you're not a good cyclist. And I tell my friends that you don't necessarily have to be a climber to be a good racer," Narváez added. "If one day I manage to win one of these classics, I will be able to show them that this cycling is also beautiful, with the flat, the wind, the cobblestones… “