Speaking to French outlet Velo-Club, John Degenkolb has revealed his intentions for the 2017 season are to win a major Classic and a Tour de France stage, before targeting the World Championships later in the season.
The German rider has joined Trek-Segafredo from Giant-Alpecin (now Sunweb) for 2017, and comes to the team on the back of a season spent recovering from a horrific injury, but before that he won both Milan-San Remo and Paris-Roubaix in the same year, and as such its understandable that the Classics are Degenkolb's first objective of the year.
'The goal for the classics, and more specifically for the monuments, will of course be to win one,' he said when asked about what he expects from the Classics this year. With riders like Jasper Stuyven and Edward Theuns also in the Trek team, Degenkolb will not be short of strong riders around him, and Trek should have ample options should Degenkolb not deliver.
Following the spring, the Tour de France will be Degenkolb's next big objective. The Grand Depart will be in Dusseldorf in his native Germany this year, which coupled with the fact that Degenkolb has never won a stage, he says is a big motivation to do well. Trek-Segafredo's other big name signing over the winter was of course Alberto Contador, but Degenkolb insists there will not be a conflict of interest there, with Contador targeting the GC and he certain stages.
The World Championships in Bergen, Norway, will be the final goal of the year for Degenkolb. 'I think that the course suits me very well,' he says. 'I am 100% motivated to prepare for this as the last goal of the year.'