Fabian Cancellara has openly stated that his targets for the 2014 season will be identical to that of 2013. This will see the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix as the Swiss stars main objectives: “Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix will be my main objective again next year. I want to win those races again and hope for a good battle. That is good publicity for our sport, both in Flanders as in Switzerland," the Trek Factory rider said on the Belgian StuBru radio station.
Cancellara was dominant in Flanders this year but this could change due to changes to the finishing circuit.
"The new Tour of Flanders route will be a big challenge. I hope to see a strong Tom Boonen there. Peter Sagan, Jürgen Roelandts and other riders from other teams will be big rivals also," he looks ahead.
Cancellara’s Spring Classics campaign as a whole was a major success with victory in E3-Prijs, the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix as well as a podium in Milan-Sanremo. Should he win Roubaix again next season, he would join a select group of stars with 4 victories in the Hell of the North: Tom Bonnen and Roger de Vlaeminck.
"I want to win those races again next year, especially on the new Flanders course. I also hope to see many Swiss flags on the Paterberg again," Cancellara laughed. "Those classics are the first goals of the season. We are on a training camp now preparing for that goal. After those races I will have a break and work towards the second half of the season”
The World Championships in Ponferrada, Spain are a big objective for Cancellara who holds four time trial world titles but has not won a road race title yet and it is the one gaping omission from his huge trophy cabinet. "The second half of the season is still far away. First we have our team launch on the Tour of Flanders course and on the Roubaix Velodrome on January 10. It will be an exciting night we want to share with our fans."
Earlier in the year, Cancellara hinted at a possible attempt of the hour record. His coach Luca Guercilena said “There are two possible moments in the season: after the spring Classics or after the first of the two Grand Tours that Fabian has on his program."
Should Cancellara achieve all of his goals in 2014, he will surely cement his place amongst cycling’s greats.
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