FABIAN CANCELLARA SPEAKS TO EUROSPORT AHEAD OF CANCELLARA SUNDAY

Of all the competitions that are on Cancellara Sunday, which is the one you’re most eager to watch again?
I have watched them multiple times and for me, Flanders. I have seen all the details of The Day When and the explanation of Flanders 2014 is amazing the way I see myself to explain the race. It's an Oscar nominee.

We’re going to recall five Spring Classics – which is your favourite?
It’s Flanders. It’s just super special because Flanders is not just flat or cobbles. It really has its own flavour, its own taste, its own speciality. Flanders is a race where you have ups, you have downs, you have different topographies. You have flat cobbles, you have uphill cobbles, you have regular climbs, you have climbs with cobbles left, right, small roads, big roads, all variations in a few square kilometres of a map. You have all the roads you need. And you can race this hard race. Wind, rain, sun. You have just everything.

I would like to ask you what is the sweetest victory of your career?
I have too many! The Olympics have been amazing, but I think Flanders 2013 is definitely popping up more after a difficult 2012. My 2012 was really, really tough, crashing out of Flanders, crashing out of the Olympic road race and these were all my own mistakes. I suffered a bit more and if you are in a crash and you're out, like on the Tour where I crashed out and have broken vertebrae… [For me] 2013 is in the storytelling. If we go into the details of how far down I came and then back to the top, of course this is a major one.

Being in yellow in the Tour de France or winning a Monument – what’s the best feeling?
Winning is always the best feeling. Winning the Olympics. It's huge. It's crazy. Winning in a Moment is amazing. It's history being on the top of the list off of so many races. I have one Flanders, have won Roubaix. I have won San Remo. I'm super proud of all the wins. And they've been all amazing. They've been all individually amazing. And that's why at the end, every win I have is still present and I still remember. That's why they are high end.

Is the most challenging race Paris-Roubaix?
It’s a crazy race but it’s not the craziest race – there are mountains of crazy races. I think Paris-Roubaix, because of the equipment and because of the cobbles it’s definitely a crazy one.

When you look back and think about your rivalry with Tom Boonen, what are your feelings or your memories that come to your mind?
2010 always pops up – he's in the national Belgium Jersey, I was in the Swiss champion’s jersey….  This is what has created this, the status of Nadal/Federer, Federer/Nadal and Djokovic is not mentioned. For many years [it’s been] like this between me and Tom, Tom and me. And so, it's always been going back and forward. And actually, we had only one real challenge, and this was Flanders. The rest was because of what we have created. Flanders, Paris-Roubaix have been our races, we've been conquering these. He wanted to win; I wanted to win. So, all those years we’ve been battling each other but of course there are other ones have challenged us.

One or two sentences on each of the following races we’re going to feature on Sunday
Paris-Roubaix 2006: Amazing win, my first one day race win. My first major win. My first Classic win. 83 years waiting… Switzerland had to wait 83 years to win Roubaix.

Milan-San Remo 2008: Cancellara Don't give him five meters. It was four meters and it was already enough to win! The perfect match.

The 2013 E3: Pre-demonstration of how strong I was before Flanders.

2014 Tour of Flanders: Winning Casino Royale. Because it's against three Flemish riders, it’s not easy.

2016 Strade Bianche: Making history on the roads. Getting my own my own sector.

Cancellara Sunday (all times CEST, check local listings for programming information)
14:00-14:30 – The Day When: 2006 Paris-Roubaix
14:30-15:30 – Best of: Paris-Roubaix 2015-2019
15:30-16:00 – The Day When: 2008 Milan-San Remo
16:00-16:30 – The Day When: 2013 GP E3
16:30-17:00 – The Day When: 2014 Tour of Flanders
17:00-18:00 – Best of: Tour of Flanders 2015-2019
18:00-18:30 – The Day When: 2016 Strade Bianche