Turning thirty and becoming a father means that regardless of the results obtained on a bike, it's going to be a year of changes for Greg Van Avermaet. The Belgian classics specialist believes, though, that he has drawn proper conclusions and domesticated a beast he has inside enough to make another huge step forward and turn himself into a winner. Victories at the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Ronde van Vlaanderen and Tour de France? That's how the 29-year old classics specialist describes a perfect year.

Despite suffering a countless number of very characteristic for him near-misses whole year long, an impressively consistent form won his a prestigeous title of Flandrien of the year. Aware that another step forward is needed to be taken in order to start winning races matching his potential, Van Avermaet took his time to consider what prevented him from achieving it earlier in his career.

While his BMC sports director insisted that the 29-year old Belgian has to stop wasting energy and ride more conservatively to save himself for races' final kilometers, he claims that such solution wouldn't work for him.

„No, I've tried it last year and it didn't work out. Everyone kept on saying I was using too much of my power, but when I ride defensively, everything is completely lost,” Van Avermaet explained while talking with Nieuwsblad. I have a nature of the beast. That's really strange – I have to go really deep few times to feel good, I have to suffer once to start getting stronger.”

Following a slightly less heavy race schedule, a solution which worked so fine for his favourite team mate Philippe Gilbert, should be another option to be considered. The 29-year old BMC rider insists, however, that maintaining a consistent form throughout a whole season is better for him that reaching one peak.

"Gee, that's something I've been thinking a lot about. But I like to race much, and content for a victory as many times. We shouldn't consider it a real solution. With less races [in the schedule] it would be in a worse shape. I can remain at a high level for a long period of time, reaching several smaller peaks of form. One major peak in a season, that's not for me,” the 29-year old Belgian explained.

„I'm going to ride a full schedule again, and simply need to use my chance better. I know that I have to do that. A percentage of my victories has to be raised every time I'm in contention.”