'I'm one of the oldest in the peloton now' - Degenkolb shelves pressure ahead of Classics campaign

John Degenkolb (Picnic PostNL) has a vast wealth of experience when it comes to the Classics, having started 35 Monuments, including nine editions of Milan-San Remo, 14 editions of the Tour of Flanders and 12 editions of Paris-Roubaix.

In his debut at Roubaix back in 2011, Degenkolb finished 19th, and fast-forward 13 years to his most recent appearance, he finished 11th, displaying an immense level of longevity in the upper echelons of the field.

2015 was the standout year for Degenkolb, as the German won both Milan-San Remo and Paris-Roubaix in the same season. This is a feat that has only been achieved by two other male riders in the sport’s history, Cyrille van Hauwaert in 1908 and Sean Kelly in 1986. 

While Degenkolb is no longer one of the top favourites for victory in the Classics, he is one of the most experienced riders in the peloton, a big asset, not only for himself but also for his Picnic PostNL team, which features plenty of youthful riders. 

With the Classics on the horizon, Degenkolb was out in Portugal racing the Volta ao Algarve, building form ahead of the key objectives of the Spring. The highlight was an 8th place finish for the 37-year-old in the opening sprint stage, where he helped his Czech teammate, Pavel Bittner, to a third place finish. 

Overall, the feeling is positive for Degenkolb ahead of the Classics, but the experienced German is not letting himself get carried away and isn’t placing much pressure on his shoulders.

“Well, I mean, I’m one of the oldest riders in the peloton now, so there’s not too much to expect,” Degenkolb told reporters, including Domestique at the Volta ao Algarve. “But I will just still try to give my best, and I come with a lot of experience over all these years, and my shape is pretty good at the moment.” 

The German also shed some light on his schedule for the busy Spring block, where he will compete in plenty of Classics, whilst also working with Bittner in the sprints at Tirreno Adriatico.

“I’m really looking forward to starting the Classics, and I will be present in Omloop and Kuurne,” said Degenkolb. “From that moment on, I will go to Tirreno, try to do some good sprints with Pavel, and then there is San Remo waiting, and then obviously the real highlights are coming with Gent-Wevelgem and Paris-Roubaix later on. So that is the plan for now.”

Degenkolb’s experience is particularly valuable considering the youthful nature of the Dutch team’s core squad for the Classics, and the German is looking forward to sharing his wisdom.

“Pavel [Bittner] will be there. We also have some young guys with Frits Biesterbos, Timo de Jong, Frank van den Broek,” said Degenkolb. “I think it’s an interesting squad. We definitely don’t have the biggest names, but I’m very keen to just share my experience and help the guys as well as possible to be up there and to be present in the race."

When asked about whether the team have the ambitions to replicate the success of the likes of Lidl-Trek at Gent-Wevelgem with Mads Pedersen, or EF Education-EasyPost with Neilson Powless at Dwars door Vlaanderen, Degenkolb tempered expectations, but also highlighted the unpredictable nature of Classics racing.

“I think that in these kinds of things, you have to be realistic. We will just try to give our best, and that’s it. You never know, in these Classics so many things can happen, and that’s the exciting thing about it,” said Degenkolb.