Even though almost a week has passed since Michał Kwiatkowski became a World Champion, the 24-year old Pole admitted that it took exactly the same amount of time to realize what he has achieved. Eager to show off his new rainbow jersey, which cost him some sleepless nights, Omega Pharma – Quick Step rider played down his chances to excel in the season’s final monument revealing, that he doesn’t even know the new Il Lombardia course.

Having spent his first days as a new World Champion at home in Poland, Kwiatkowski needed to travel to Italy and receive his new rainbow kit from Omega Pharma – Quick Step to fully realize that he has achieved last Sunday.

“I saw it (the rainbow jersey) last night and I couldn't sleep because I was thinking what it'd be like to wear it,” Kwiatkowski admitted in a special press conference in Como, the day before Il Lombardia.

“It's actually an incredible feeling. I didn't think it'd be so visible and so nice, it looks good, especially with my Specialized bike and how it's all been designed together. I hope everybody likes it. It feels incredible that I somehow represent cycling now by wearing the rainbow jersey.

“The last week has been completely different to what I'm used to in my life. After winning the world title it was difficult to focus on Lombardia, but I'm a person who never really wants to celebrate my victories too much. I stayed at home with girlfriend and family and meet with some friends. I wanted to stay relaxed but actually was still in shock. But I trained in my home town and then I came here on Friday. I wanted to show my rainbow jersey at Lombardia.”

After impressing with his form and tactical astuteness in World Championships road race, the 24-year old Pole should be considered one of the favorites to excel on the novel Il Lombardia course. Even though Kwiatkowski wants to enter “the race of the falling leaves” with exactly the same aggressive attitude as last Sunday’s event, he played down his chances to excel in the season’s ultimate monument.

The new World Champion underlined that, overwhelmed by emotions, he wasn’t able to fully focus on the event and he doesn’t even know the new Il Lombardia course. He also insisted that he finds the event as the most demanding monument along with Liege-Bastogne-Liege what finds a reflection in esults obtained in his two appearances.

Kwiatkowski will line-up at Il Lombardia as the Omega Pharma – Quick Step leader along with Rigoberto Uran, who is usually performing extremely well in this event.

“I think Alberto Contador, Alejandro Valverde and Joaquim Rodríguez are the favourites for sure, they will try to win this race,” he said. “But Lombardia is such a hard race that you don't really fight with the other riders, you fight the course. Along with Liege-Bastogne-Liege it's the hardest race amongst the monuments.”

“I can't really compare with how I've performed in the past and I don't have much experience. I've ridden Lombardia twice but never finished and didn't ride last year. I don't even know this year's course, I haven't done recon an only seen the profile and map. My attack at the world championships wasn't planned, I was just at the front, saw an opportunity and in the end it was a good move. I think we will have to be similarly elastic tomorrow because anything can happen.”