The Volta Ao Algarve ended without Elia Viviani's first win of the 2020 season, but the Italian rider was pleased with his race.

The rising star from Cofidis will move his discipline to the track this weekend for the World Championships in Berlin, before taking on the spring classics, including a cobbled race.

He said after the race that the move to the Algarve was a blessing in disguise for him, as he was forced to rearrange his early season calendar due to the Tour of Oman schedule change.

"It was my first time racing in the Algarve, and I think it's one of the best races to get closer to my big goals for the future," he told Cycling News after the 20km time trial of the final stage in Lagoa.

"The last time I arrived in Tirreno-Adriatico, it was after riding in Australia and Dubai. There are over 2,000 meters of sprints every day and 3,000 meters of climbing stages.

"It's a quality race, so in the end I'm glad to be here now that the Tour of Oman has been cancelled. We have found another good race at this time of the season."

Viviani will be aiming for a medal at the track world championships in Berlin, where he will compete in the Omnium and Madison with teammate Simone Conssoni. He won Olympic gold in the omnium in Rio 2016 and holds European titles in both events, the points race, and team pursuit.

Milan-San Remo, where he finished in the top 10 in 2017, will follow, and then off to the cobbled classics where Viviani has ambitions to show he is more than a pure sprinter. The 31-year-old has shown his range on many occasions over the past three seasons, winning European and Italian road race titles on tough courses in Alkmaar and Lombardia, as well as the GP Plouis in 2017.

The Tour de Flanders is the race he has in mind, and his past successes for De Ronde prove the sincerity of his ambitions: in 2015 he finished third in the Coure Brussel-Coone, and two years ago he was second in Gent-Wevelgem. He has raced three times in Flanders and fallen in all of them, but he will have a better chance to make a run for himself after leaving Dečuninck-Quickstep.

"I have always said in the last few years that I could be there in Ghent-Wevelgem. I won the championship at De Panne. Sanremo is a big goal, but with my characteristics I think I can win in Ghent-Wevelgem as well."

"Flanders is a dream race. Like the European Championships, the Italian Championships, and Plouay, I will be in the best shape ever.

"If you are fighting for positions in a small group sprint instead of riders arriving one by one, you can be there in Flanders. So my goal in Flanders is if I'm in really good condition. That's what I have in my head."

"Sure, there have been many years when I didn't race in Flanders, but I really enjoy it.

Before the cobblestones and after the track worlds, there are two local races ahead: Tirreno-Adriatico and Milano-Sanremo. Viviani is aiming for his first win at Cofidis, where he has won five and three races in the past two seasons, respectively, before the end of February.

An early season "reset" was not the cause after a second stage crash at the Tour Down Under. While adjusting to a new lead-out train consisting of Fabio Sabatini and Conssoni, who ran together in the Detunink-Quickstep, he finished fourth in the opening stage.

The pileup, which left him with a knee injury and his upper body hitting the road surface, prevented him from competing for the win in the remaining races, but he made a fresh start two weeks later by finishing third in the Clasica de Almería.

"Third in Almeria and second in the first stage gave me a new start to the season," he said. But as is always the case with sprints, you always find something wrong. But sprints always do that.

"We arrived in Tirreno after a big week already. I'm happy with the form, but not with the result. I'm still building up to something right now, so I'm not worried. I know my strengths and how I can approach my next big goal."

Success in any of these big goals would make all of Viviani's early season struggles worthwhile. Mark Cavendish's infamous "shitty little race" quote comes to mind for a moment, but it is true that any sprinter would rather be successful in San Remo or Wevelgem than be in great shape in the Algarve or Australia.

"There have been other years in this situation and I was always there and never won. But in my mind, one big win is better than ten small wins," Viviani said.

"But I'm still waiting for this big win. But we're still waiting for this big win. We are certainly working hard for it, and we know that once we get out of this situation we will be able to win more easily. I'm still enjoying the start of the season and I'm really happy to be back in good shape from Australia.

February 29-March 1: UCI Track World Championships, Berlin

March 11-17: Tirreno - Adriatico Championships, Berlin Tirreno - Adriatico

March 21: Milan - San Remo

March 25: Drydags Bruges - De Panne

March 29: Ghent - Wevelgem

April 1: Dwar door Hlaanderen

April 5: Tour of Flanders

April 8: Scheldepries (possible)

May 9-31: Giro d'Italia

June 27-July 19: Tour de France