Damiano Cunego has had some very barren years recently considering he has won Amstel Gold, the Giro and the Tour of Lombardy three times.

At the recent Tour of the Basque Country however, the Italian nicknamed the “Little Prince” looked in the best form he’s had since the 2008 season. He puts this improvement down to returning to live in his hometown of Verona when he spent a year and a half previously living in Switzerland.

“Moving to Lugano had taken a lot of serenity away from me,” Cunego told Gazzetta dello Sport. “I missed my places and my training routes – my country, really. And my family wasn’t happy. I could feel their unease, their difficulties and that took away my calm. Adults can make a go of it, but children can’t and they suffer. So from January 1, after a year and a half in Switzerland, I moved back.”

A native of Cerro Veronese, on the outskirts of the city, Cunego now lives at the foot of the climb where he forged his victory in the junior world road race championships in 1999. “I live in Verona, right below the Torricelle. It must be destiny.”

He is looking forward to what he hopes will be a successful Ardennes Classics campaign. He has won Amstel in 2008 as well as being fifth and sixth in the race in the two years after his win as well as top 10s in the other two Ardennes races, Liege-Bastogne-Liege and Fleche Wallone. Despite his record and form, he doesn’t call himself a favourite.

Gilbert is going well. In the Basque Country, every now and then he stuck his nose out but since he wasn’t interested in the general classification, he would sit up. He’s coming here right on form,” Cunego said.

The finish of Amstel Gold has changed drastically since Cunego won in 2008 and now favors more stronger and brave attackers rather than pure climbers.

“I think there’ll be fifteen riders at the foot of the Cauberg fighting it out for the win. The race will be decided there,” Cunego said. “Even though it’s a long race, you have to have a lot of patience and land just one blow in the finale.”