"My preparation for this European Championship has been good with several classics the last couple of weeks. I'm thinking of the GP Impanis of last Saturday, which was pretty similar to the road race here. I like this kind of difficult races, I aim to win classics like these in the future. I joined my five teammates of the Estonian national team on Monday, the day after the Gooikse Pijl. So we had time to ride the full parcours. I already raced on the Col du VAM twice, in the Ronde van Drenthe and the Olympia's Tour. But this time the local circuit will even be more selective as the top was raised. It is a typical Dutch parcours on which the positioning is important from the start. There are not many open fields, however, the wind will undoubtedly play a role to establish the hierarchy in the peloton. My feeling was good in the past races with Intermarché-Circus-Wanty, I feel ready."
"Representing Italy always gives me an incredible feeling of proudness, both when wearing the Italian national champion's jersey or as a member of the Squadra Azzura. This Friday we can cherish a high ambition for the road race with the Italian team. For me personally, a good result would be a bonus in a season which has been fantastic so far. Our plan is to race as a cohesive team from the start to control the attempts in the crosswinds or other important movements. We will probably be two protected riders until the final starts on the local circuits. This season, the Brabantse Pijl was my only race on the cobbles and I finished fourteenth with Intermarché-Circus-Wanty. I prepared this event by supporting my teammates of the World Team in the Italian classics. I feel rather good at this moment of the season, I'm confident that I am able to perform well."
