Triple German road race champion Fabian Wegmann has been suffering from a cruel influenza virus the past few weeks and it may influence his performance in the upcoming classic Amstel Gold Race which takes place on the 18th of April. However, the former winner of the mountains jersey in the Giro d’Italia is forcing himself to remain optimistic.

“I’m so motivated for Amstel and obviously I’m a little frustrated about this illness. I’m forcing myself not to go out on the bike ´cause I know it’ll only make the condition worse but like every other passionate rider, I really want to get out there on the road. But as the doctor says, there’s nothing I can do but rest and wait,” says 34 year-old Wegmann who points to Amstel Gold Race as one of his all-time favorite races.

“I love Amstel. I love the narrow roads and the long hills, the atmosphere and the big crowd on Cauberg that makes it seem like a huge sold-out stadium. Most times, it’s an elimination race during the first 180 kilometers where you have to make sure you conserve as much energy as possible. Entering the final loop around Cauberg, it gets more tactical and you have to make the right split-second decisions in order to succeed. I reckon, the previous finale suited me better with the finish line at the top of Cauberg when it was mostly about legs. Moving the finish line a few kilometers provides a more tactical finish where you actually don’t have to be the strongest to win the race.”

CULT Energy Pro Cycling’s Fabian Wegmann knows who to keep an eye on in the tactical finale.

“I think Valverde is the biggest favorite to win the race. He’s looking very strong at the moment but Philippe Gilbert is always there to launch a fierce attack on Cauberg and if he’s having a good day, very few riders can follow him. My ambition is to be in the top-10. I still think it’s possible if I recover from this flu,” concludes Wegmann.