Patrick Lefevere has spoken about his new star signing Fernando Gaviria, saying it is incredible how quickly he has adapted from the velodrome to the road and confirmed he will be protected in Milan-Sanremo.

“From now on everyone in the peloton knows that they will have to reckon with him in the sprints,” Lefevere told the Belga news agency. "It's incredible how quickly Gaviria has made the switch from the track back to the road. On Saturday he became world champion in the Omnium, less than a week later he won a stage in the Tirreno-Adriatico.”

Stybar is the confirmed leader for the season’s first Monument, but Lefevere says Gaviria can do almost everything and has earned the right to be protected.

“Zdenek Stybar is our leader and he’s got great form and we’ll also see how well Gaviria can do,” Lefevere confirmed. “It’s important to remember that he’s not a normal rider. I think he can do everything. He won the stage at the Tour of Britain after 218 kilometres of hard racing and put three lengths into an on-form André Greipel in the sprint. There is no pressure on him for Milan-San Remo, so we’ll let him ride and see what he can do.”