A complete decade has handed for the reason that mud-encrusted face of John Degenkolb outsprinted Zdenek Stybar and Greg van Avermaet in Roubaix velodrome to assert the most important victory of his profession.
But, even when the 36-year-old is now extra incessantly seen in a workforce captain’s position in races, and for all of the seasons roll by, in terms of the cobbled Classics of Belgium and France, Degenkolb stays an actual reference level.
Indeed, Degenkolb’s performances have been sturdy sufficient and dependable sufficient for his contract with Picnic-PostNL to be prolonged for an extra two seasons over the winter. As he stated through the latest Volta ao Algarve, his essential position throughout this time might be to proceed to behave because the “connecting level between the workforce automobile and the fellows on the highway, that is what I actually take pleasure in loads.”
“Also”, he provides, “my ardour for the Classics continues to be there and I’m actually aiming to be good in them, so let’s examine how far we are able to get there, too. My large dream is to be up there within the last for Paris-Roubaix.”
First, although, there’s Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, the place Degenkolb might be taking part for the sixth time in his profession. While some argue that it is subsequent to unattainable to carry out effectively from Omloop all the best way to Roubaix, Degenkolb thinks the present development in coaching for Classics stars implies that specific unwritten regulation is now not legitimate.
“That’s modified since just a few years in the past now,” he tells Cyclingnews, arguing that it is attainable to mix Roubaix and Omloop as a result of “the actually good riders simply flip up at one particular race, they’re in absolute high form for that however then they return to coaching once more and switch up on the subsequent race.”
“Maybe they simulate races higher [in training] than they used to prior to now, however for me it was by no means attainable to peak at the start and the tip of the Classics. Guys like Mathieu [van der Poel] and Wout [van Aert], although – they’re able to doing that.”
The newest race content material, interviews, options, critiques and skilled shopping for guides, direct to your inbox!
Everybody has to start out someplace, be they Van Aert or a first-year professional and Omloop is the place the motion will start for a big proportion of sooner or later racers. But as Degenkolb says, Omloop is extra of a race to get an preliminary thought of the situation, relatively than the be-all-and-end-all of anyone’s season.
“It’s at all times a pleasant first check to see how you might be, simply because the Classics season is admittedly beginning,” he argues. “In my case, after that I’ll go to Paris-Nice, to observe our leadouts and sprints, working within the crosswinds and build up for the excessive a part of the Classics season.”
Degenkolb argues that something that occurs earlier than Omloop Algarve, “does not let you know a lot in regards to the Classics, however you may acquire loads of confidence and you’ll construct up in a great way,”
Even in Portugal, as you may count on of a workforce captain, Degenkolb was already understanding how his squad would play their playing cards in Opening Weekend.
“Omloop just isn’t our essential goal, our essential objective might be Kuurne to dash with Pavel [Bittner]” – Degenkolb explains in regards to the up-and-coming 2024 Vuelta a España stage winner.
“We had an enormous downer with dropping Nils [Eekhoff, who fractured his jaw in a crash – Ed.] in Saudi, he is again coaching now however I do not assume he might be again for Opening Weekend.
“So we’ll have to ensure to only present ourselves in Omloop, perhaps put any person within the break, be within the race and grasp on so long as attainable in the direction of the ultimate.”
Although he is already executed the AIUIa Tour, the Figueira Champions Classic and is speaking to Cyclingnews in Algarve – “my third race already”, as he says – for Degenkolb in some methods the 2025 season began again over the winter when he signed his contract extension.
“I’m actually completely happy about that,” he confirms. “It’s not getting simpler whenever you grow old, however it’s an enormous signal of belief from the workforce and it provides me the arrogance to information the workforce in the easiest way attainable. And hopefully, I can get one or two outcomes for myself, too.”
Subscribe to Cyclingnews for limitless entry to our 2025 Spring Classics protection. Don’t miss any of the breaking information, reviews, and evaluation from all of the Cobbled Classics from Opening Weekend to Paris-Roubaix. Find out extra.