After finishing a relatively lowly 23rd in the men's individual time trial last weekend, more than two and a half minutes down on gold medal winner Remco Evenepoel, Michal Kwiatkowski has announced that he will no longer compete in the men's elite road race at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games next Saturday.
"Representing my country, wearing white & red colours is too big of a deal to do it without a confidence, that I will be able to give 110%" writes the former world champion on his official Instagram account, explaining his withdrawal from the road race. "After an Olympic Time Trial I have been suffering lower back pain and the only decision possible was to hand on my place in the Road Race to another rider."
With the individual time trial marking Kwiatkowski's appearance at a 4th Olympic Games, the Pole's best previous result in the road race for the gold medal came in Tokyo when he finished 11th as Richard Carapaz bagged himself the Olympic title for Ecuador.
With every door that closes however, another opens though and in Kwiatkowski's absence, Cofidis sprinter Stanislaw Aniolkowski will fly the flag of Polish hopes in the road race and in the opinion of 'Kwiato', the 27-year-old has the capabilities to fight for the medals, despite the very high level of competition in the smaller than usual peloton taking to the roads around Paris.
"It’s a very tough call to give up on Olympic dreams, but Stanisław Aniołkowski is in a good shape, he’s a professional and a committed rider," Kwiatkowski assesses of his compatriot's chances against the likes of Mathieu van der Poel, Mads Pedersen, Tom Pidcock, plus Belgian duo Wout van Aert and Remco Evenepoel among others. "I truly believe he will have a great race. Fingers crossed for him and whole Polish Olympic Team."
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