Despite the little delay in training caused by a crash he suffered in December, Fabian Cancellara is strictly following his usual racing schedule and his sports direktor, Dirk Demol, claims that the Swiss classics master is ready to face his first objectives of the season as they recently manager to make up for the lost time.

The Trek Factory Racing sports director confessed that Cancellara missed some scheduled training due to the accident he suffered while training in Switzerland, they managed to insert some additional block to a gap following a three-race stint in the Persian Gulf.

“He missed some training in January due to a crash but we've made up for that lack of training days now. I think Fabian is ready,” Dirk Demol told Sporza.

Cancellara will participate in the Strade Bianche this weekend and Tirreno-Adriatico next week, but Demol insists that those races will be treated as a final preparation to the Milano-Sanremo, which appears to be the first big objective for the Swiss rider this season.

The Trek Factory Racing sports director believes that la Classicissima, despite the route change, is the real opening of the season for his renowned classics specialist and opens a very important period in the calendar for the whole team.

“We noticed that some teams are further ahead in their preparation than we are but it’s a matter of choice. We decided to do an easy build-up towards Milan-San Remo. We are now trying to make up towards the other teams.”

“The moment of truth is now coming closer,” Demol said.

“I am relaxed when it comes to Fabian’s form. I have seen him race but I will be totally at ease after this weekend [with Strade Bianche] and after the Tirreno. Then we really know where we stand.”

Demol underlined that an intensive period of racing in the Middle East with Cancellara’s participation in Dubai Tour, Tour of Qatar and Tour of Oman was extremely important in order to make up for the time lost in early January.

“Fabian couldn’t train for a week after a training crash in January because he hurt his elbow, but with 16 race days in February he is back on track,” Demol continued.

When it comes to the Strade Bianche, being the former champions of that event, in-form Cancellara is one of our favorites to take all the spoils when the long day of racing on the Tuscan gravel roads comes to its conclusion, even if the Swiss rider treats his participation only as the final test of his legs.

“It counts as a test to see where we are at the moment. It’s a hard race. Then comes Tirreno with a team time trial, an individual time trial and some long stages as well. Just like previous year we decided to start with our classics team in Tirreno.”