When it comes to the classics, unlike bunch sprints, riders often underline the importance of having `options´ - multiple cards to play in races that are as open as they come - and Tony Martin and Alexander Kristoff believe they´ve struck on the perfect partnership at Katusha-Alpecin. Kristoff has already won Milan-San Remo and the Tour of Flanders in the red jersey of the Russian team, but this year he will share leadership with Martin, who has joined after a cobbled apprenticeship of sorts at Quick-Step last spring. `It´s a really good combination. Alex is more the sprinter, waiting for the sprints, and I´m more the aggressive rider going a bit earlier,` Martin explained to Cyclingnews in Kortrijk on Thursday, just after completing a recon of the last 60 kilometres of Friday´s E3-Harelbeke.ADVERTISEMENT `I can go, and he can wait and save energy. If it comes together I can work for him, but I can always gamble a bit, and say `I have Alex back there´. We´ll see how it plays out, but on paper it looks like a really good strategy.` Kristoff and Martin raced alongside each other for the first time at the `opening weekend´ of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne at the end of February. On paper, it didn´t go well at all, with Kristoff crashing out of the former and Martin the latter, but each saw enough of the other to be full of confidence for the next couple of weeks. `I didn´t actually have much of a relation with him before - we said hello and congratulations for victories, as you do, but I didn´t know him well,` said Martin. `Coming here he was really open, frankly. I really like him. It´s a really good relationship. We still have to grow, as always, but it´s been half a year now, and we´ve done some races together now.` Martin´s new direction
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