Styby has finished ninth in the Ronde van Vlaanderen. Our Czech defended an escape of teammate Niki Terpstra, who eventually finished second after Alexander Kristoff. “It was a very strange race.”
“Everything went well until the second time before the Oude Kwaremont. I lost one of my teeth. It wasn’t a nice feeling and that this happens in such a big race is very unfortunate. I can’t say how much this has affected my performance.”
But: it cost some distraction. “I did not know what to do with it. Because it’s a bridge, it was moving, so I took it out. It’s not the best feeling to ride without teeth. But anyway, as for my race, I felt pretty good.”
Just before the third and final passage on the Oude Kwaremont, Terpstra and Kristoff rode away. “At the Kwaremont itself Geraint Thomas set a counterattack and I responded. But I stayed on his wheel, because I had to protect the attack of Terpstra.”
Thomas and Styby were caught again. “After that several riders tried to attack and I responded on every one of them. Because of this, I missed some energy when Greg Van Avermaet and Peter Sagan made a gap on the Paterberg.”
Eventually Kristoff won the race before Terpstra and Van Avermaet. Styby finished ninth. “It was such a strange race. The incident with my teeth and all the bizarre crashes. But De Ronde still is the most beautiful race in the world.”
“Now I look next to Paris-Roubaix, another race I am so passionate about.”