For many seasons, Michał Kwiatkowski (Team Ineos) has tried to manage his form from late February to the end of April and again in July, with both the Spring Classics and the Tour de France as his goals. This year, the coronavirus outbreak and the resulting changes to the race schedule have shortened this busy four-month period to 29 days.

Kwiatkowski spent the shutdown period in France and resumed outdoor training when the restrictions were lifted on May 11. With the new UCI World Tour calendar in place, one-day classics will dominate his new schedule, but selection for the Tour de France will be the keynote of his ongoing preparations.

With only four stage races scheduled in Europe before the Grand Boucle and many other races rescheduled or cancelled, the riders are focusing their preparations on high-altitude training camps. [Kwiatkowski, Chris Froome, Geraint Thomas, Dylan Van Baarle, and Pavel Sivakov can begin high altitude training without having to travel. Prior to joining the camp, all players and staff will be tested twice for coronavirus and will be required to adhere to various hygiene guidelines while at the resort.

For Paul, the two weeks in the highlands are a continuation of the efforts he is already making in confinement.

"During my confinement, I slept in a high altitude tent most of the time. This was certainly a new experience. I mean, I had tried it here and there, but never had enough time. This time, I had two months to spare," Kwiatkowski said in an interview with Polish cycling website Rowery.org.

Athletes use the altitude tent to simulate the reduced oxygen at high altitude, which boosts the production of oxygen carriers such as red blood cells and hemoglobin. High altitude tents are permitted under World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) rules, but are banned in some countries, such as Italy and Norway.

"I didn't check before or after," Kwiatkowski said when asked about his blood levels. 'But the sensations are different. Usually in May I go to a high-altitude training camp and I struggle a lot in the first few days, especially at altitudes above 1,500 meters. I felt my heart rate jump. This time, that was not the case. Perhaps it was the acclimatization I did at home."

Kwiatkowski's tentative schedule includes Strade Bianche (August 1), Milan-Torino (August 5), Milan-San Remo (August 8), and as a final race test before the Tour de France (August 29-September 20) Criterium du Dauphiné (August 12-16) included.

The 2014 road race world champion says he will be ready from the start and hopes to be in contention for wins in both Strade Bianche and Milan-San Remo.

"In my opinion, the key will be the high altitude training camp in mid-July, just before the season starts again. 'I'll be here (Isola 2000) until June 28, then back home for two weeks, then back to training camp.'

"I will know more about my shape then. I haven't struggled in any high-level races early in the season, and I want to be ready starting August 1," Kwiatkowski said.

Kwiatkowski's schedule has few stage races, but its duration is similar to a spring classic campaign. Kwiatkowski acknowledges the similarity, but insists that experience is on his side.

"It's a lot of effort to stay in race condition for three months. You have to be careful not to peak too early, not to be at the right weight," he explained. In the past," Kwiatkowski said, "by the time the Ardennes Classics rolled around, there was almost nothing left.

This year, Kwiatkowski is hoping to stay in top condition as long as possible, taking on the World Championships and Classics after the Tour. He has a varied race schedule in October, with the World Championships (September 27), Liège-Bastogne-Liège (October 4), Tour de Flanders (October 18), and Paris-Roubaix (October 25) debuting.

"I'm going to race the same legs as Paris. If I blow up in the last week of the Tour, and if I'm not mentally ready for the race, there won't be enough time to improve," Kwiatkowski stressed.

"If I feel the same as I did after the 2017 and 2018 Tour, I'll hang on to that until the end of the season. I like Flanders very much, but it depends on the day."

"Paris-Roubaix will be an interesting race," Kwiatkowski admitted of his first foray into "hell in the north."