Michal Kwiatkowski is now a coveted rider. He will certainly not be short of offers once his contract with Patrick Lefevere’s Etixx-Quik Step team is up at the end of next season. This wasn’t always the case and Eusebio Unzué almost had the Polish star in 2011, but missed out, Biciciclismo reports.

The now world champion began his professional career at Caja Rural in 2010, a year that would be a bridge for his incorporation into the Movistar Team in 2011, the first year of the telephone squad. Kwiatkowski reached Alsasua accompanied by his brother Radoslaw, who competed in the amateur team, after being European champion and world junior time trial champion and already having dueled with Peter Sagan.

At only 19, he was very young to debut at the highest level with Caisse d'Epargne and Unzué got him a place at Caja Rural, then under the direction of Eugenio Goikoetxea and Inaki Juanikorena, where he would mature and adapt to the professional pace. "That was the idea when Giuseppe Acquadro- his representative- contacted us about the kid. We spoke to them and he rode a year there," recalls Unzue to BiciCiclismo.

The Caisse d'Epargne sponsorship came to an end and Movistar door did not open until the summer. Unzué had to change nearly half of the workforce and ten new faces arrived. "I personally would have preferred to continue his maturity another year with Caja Rural, but in came Bruyneel and the kid could not say no," says Unzué. 

Indeed, when Kwiatkowski joined RadioShack in 2011, he reached the elite. By contrast, the Movistar Team signed Jesus Herrada, Intxausti, Iriarte, Konovalovas, Oyarzun, Pardilla, Samoilau, Sanz, Tondo and Ventoso. Today, only two, Herrada and Intxausti continue in 2015, while Kwiatkowski has been uncovered, not only with his world title in Ponferrada, but also with victories against Contador in Algarve or the Strade Bianche against Sagan, second in the Basque Country and third in Liege and Fleche Wallonne. "He realized his potential. However, that year we had enough young people and did not have much space. And practically no choice," says Unzue.

Bruyneel himself recalled after his victory in Ponferrada. "Congratulations to Michael Kwiatkowski by this huge victory. You will be a worthy world champion. Far from it are the days when no one wanted to sign you," he revealed on Twitter. In 2012, Lefevere came calling to steal Kwiatkowski from Bruyneel to take to his OPQS team here he has been so successful.

To Unzué, his rainbow jersey was not a surprise but a continuity of his career. "Continued progress and this year has been nothing confirmation of his talent. Whether he is at his best or still has more to come, in a stage race and Classics, he has a good chance of winning important things. At the moment I do think the Grand Tour is a bit far, it is a hard task, but everything else, yes," Unzue stresses. 

Kwiatkowski’s contract ends next year, although Unzué will not be looking at signing him with Nairo Quintana and Alejandro Valverde on the team until 2017. "There's no point in speculating now that. Our structure has no such need at this time; I care more about taking care of what we have just now. I'm not thinking about strengthening the team; more trust in the progression of our youth group that gives me much more peace of mind and am content to continue making this group of kids into big stars.”