Second place was the cruelest way to go. When Benoit Kosnefrois was announced the winner in the Amstel Gold Race shortly after, he was happy to believe he had won his first major spring classic. Until his earphones rang again.

"Shit. ...... He says Kwiat," the Frenchman murmured, his face falling.

Kosnefroi and Michal Kwiatkowski (Ineos Grenadiers) crossed the finish line after a two-man sprint contest, with the same havoc that had occurred at this race 12 months earlier.

Koznefroy later explained that through his earpiece, his team informed him that the official race radio had announced him as the winner. He raised his arms and hugged his teammates and soignées. However, as he drove to the podium, the news came through that he was in fact photographed by the race jury, and the footage left no doubt that Kwiatkowski was the true winner.

"When I crossed the finish line, I wasn't sure if I had won or finished second. A few minutes later, I was informed that I was officially declared the winner and I knew I had won the Classic. I shared that moment with my teammates."

"Then I went to ...... I went to the podium and they told me I was second."

Koznevroi tried to pass it off with a smile, but must have been disappointed and perhaps embarrassed in front of the TV cameras.

His smile continued on the podium, and he put on a brave face when dealing with the media after the race.

"It's frustrating, but I can be happy with second place. I can be proud of my race and my teammates," Kosnefroi claimed.

But this was no mere brave face. Kosnefroi genuinely turned the page and seemed to have put things into perspective surprisingly quickly.

"That's how I can control [my emotions]. It's the same in sports and in everyday life. It's my way of doing things. It helps me at times and gives me stability. At the top level of sports, that's what I need."

"I lose a lot in cycling and I lost today, but I really enjoyed this Amstel Gold Race. If I'm going to cry over a podium finish in Amstel, I should stop cycling. I certainly wanted to win. But getting on the podium remains a big moment in my career. There were 175 riders on the start line, but only three made the podium. Mathieu Van der Pol was here as one of the favorites to win, but he did not make the podium. I don't know what to cry about."

Kosnefroe had a winning scenario when he launched a well-timed and powerful attack from the leading group on the climb of the Goal Hemmerberg with 20km to go. Kwiatkowski had already climbed the Cauberg and the two would ride together to the finish.

Kwiatkowski, who won in Amstel in 2015, began to cooperate, but with team leader Tom Pidcock in the back group, he mainly put pressure on Kosnefroe. Kwiatkowski dropped back in the sprint, and Kosnefroi began to sprint.

"We had an almost perfect race," Kwiatkowski said. But unfortunately I ran into a stronger rider than me in the sprint."

"He had the leader behind him, so while I was playing all the cards, he was further up to work the others. We didn't have the same strategy or the same team numbers. But I thought I was strong and I told myself, 'If I did more work, there is still a chance I can beat him.' In the end, it wasn't a completely stupid strategy because it was hardly competitive

"I was hoping he would tire in the long sprint because I thought he might struggle a bit in the uphill sections, but unfortunately that didn't happen. Congratulations to him on his victory.

Although Kosnefroi did not get the win he longed for, his chances are still good, and Sunday's performance gave him confidence for Wednesday's Brabantspaille and then La Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

"I'm in very good shape. I'm going for the win."

"I may have been marked by other riders and lost some time, but it was a good way to start a race at this important time of the year for me.