The new race calendar announced by the UCI and key officials will feature three Grand Tours and Monuments over 71 days, nonstop and overlapping. For some athletes, the new schedule will be daunting, but for Team Ineos all-rounder Michał Kwiatkowski, the post-COVID-19 calendar will be a great opportunity to shine.

The former world champion is itching to get back in the saddle after riding the cobbles, Ardennes, and high mountains of the Tour de France.

"It's hard to judge the conditions right now. There's still a couple of months to go before the race and there's still plenty of time to improve my condition for the first race. I need to focus on the basics and be in good form from August 1 until the end of October," he told Cycling News from his home in the south of France.

"The whole new calendar could be a dream opportunity for me. I can build up one block for the post-COVID season for the Classics, which is my main goal, and at the same time prepare for the Tour."

"That can go on for three months. If you think about it, I usually race harder for longer. Our main goal is to be ready from the first gun on August 1. Then we need to be ready to win races until the end of October, and that's a great opportunity."

The full race plan has not yet been finalized, and things could change dramatically if the race is postponed again, but as it stands, Kwiatkowski will compete in the Strade Bianche on August 1. The following weekend, he will race Milan-San Remo in preparation for the Tour de France. And after the Tour, he hopes to leave in good enough form for the final classic of the season in late fall.

"I will do the Tour. I think the Tour is a good fit for me for the Classics season." Not every year, but it's a great experience." "If I do well, I can finish the Tour in better shape than when I started it."

Until then, the winner of the Milan-San Remo and Amstel Gold Races can enjoy himself in training and in the Ineos eRace that his team has launched. This weekend, the team, which includes Chris Froome, Geraint Thomas, Rohan Dennis, and Kwiatkowski, will split into several mini-teams to compete against each other on Zwift.

In recent months, Dennis has proven to be the team's strongest e-racer, but he will be a marked man as the team races an online version of the Yorkshire World Championship course on Saturday. Kwiatkowski, a fan of what e-racing can offer racers and their fans, has stepped up his efforts to put pressure on Dennis.

"When you look at different sports and disciplines, the e-racing platform gives cyclists the opportunity to put on a show even when they are cooped up at home. It allows you to stay connected with your fans and spread the message that you still intend to entertain them.

"It's hard to judge how I will do. I think I surprised myself last time by finishing in the top three. I have to say it was a horrible effort. The Yorkshire circuit has a kick to it and I think Zwift is one of those platforms where you can really use your tactics. It's going to be difficult to control, which is quite scary.

"I can't tell you who's going to do what, but we have a team and a small Whatsapp group, so we're talking about what we're going to do. My only worry is that Rohan Dennis will just go for the gun and keep going until the end. If we can keep him at the wheel, he's going to be tricky."