Edvald Boasson Hagen (Team Sky) will look to shine in the 2013 spring classics(Image credit: Photopress.be)
Edvald Boasson Hagen (Sky) celebrates victory in Stage 3 at the Critérium Du Dauphiné(Image credit: AFP)
Edvald Boasson Hagen will be carrying the hopes of Team Sky at Milan-San Remo on Sunday, with the Norwegian hopeful of bettering his 25th place from 2012. Paris-Roubaix may be his priority in terms of the classics, however Boasson Hagen ranks Milan-San Remo in his top three, following the Tour of Flanders.
The 25-year-old admits that while he hasn't done a lot of racing so far this season - Tour Down Under, Qatar and Omloop Het Nieuwsblad have so far made up his calendar - he is happy with his form.
"I'm feeling better and better on the bike," he told TeamSky.com. "I haven't had any big results to shout about yet this year but hopefully they will come in the next few weeks. I've been doing a lot of good training and the focus has been on the Classics."
Boasson Hagen made the front group of the race to hit the Poggio in 2012, only to fall back without the assistance of any team mates.
"Last year I went quite well," he explained. "I was in the group all the way to the last climb but I was just on the limit to make it over. It was one of the better Milan-San Remos I've done so hopefully I can be even stronger this year. I want to be in the first group over the last climb.
"I've done the race four times now and I've seen the climbs on a lot of videos. I've always done recons of the climbs so I'm familiar with them.
"You do 200km before the first climb, and 250 or so before the next one, so it's the length before the climbs that makes them hard - and also the speed. They are not really steep but everything you've been through before you get to them makes it tough."
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