"Milano-Sanremo and Tour of Flanders are perhaps the two biggest races, so I'm disappointed about that" - Anthony Turgis on TotalEnergies' "weaker" racing programme

Anthony Turgis has been one of the most successful underdogs at Classics of last couple of years, despite never winning any. And he won't add neither Omloop Het Nieuwsbald, Milano-Sanremo nor Tour of Flanders to his palmares in 2024, because his team TotalEnergies wasn't invited to start at these races amidst the toughening ProConti competition.

"Milano-Sanremo and Tour of Flanders are perhaps the two biggest races, so I'm disappointed about that," Turgis said in an interview with DirectVelo. "I knew we had to take such a scenario into account, but I still had high hopes for wildcards. It's just how it works and we have to accept this."

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"It does hurt and it also feels strange to say that we will not be participating in the most important classics. However, it is now important to look ahead again. For example, I will now be riding Le Samyn. That was usually too much of a race after the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne - Bruxelles - Kuurne, but now I will be there. And yet: Milan-San Remo and the Tour remain irreplaceable competitions."

This spring, Turgis can still prepare for Kuurne - Bruxelles - Kuurne, Le Samyn, E3 Saxo Classic, Gent-Wevelgem, Dwars door Vlaanderen and Paris-Roubaix. "So far I have been less successful in Roubaix than in San Remo or Flanders, although you never know. Paris-Roubaix is a lottery, but I believe that anything is possible. I have also competed for victory in Kuurne several times," he said with determination.