"If there is one race that I truly believe in, it is Roubaix" - Former winner John Degenkolb still dreams of Paris-Roubaix

John Degenkolb will take on a new role with Team Picnic PostNL in 2025. The 36-year-old boasts an impressive career, highlighted by victories in both Milano-Sanremo and Paris-Roubaix in the same spring ten years ago in 2015. He has also secured stage wins in all three Grand Tours, including a whopping ten at the Vuelta a Espana.

Speaking to IDLProCycling.com, Degenkolb reflected on his continued involvement with the team. "It's still very nice to ride for this team. I've spent most of my career on this team, and it still feels like family," he shared.

"Has the team changed with the arrival of Picnic and PostNL? Yes and no. We have always been quite international, but also a combination of many Dutch and Germans. Now, not many Germans are left, only Nikias Märkl and myself, so you can see a trend."

With Romain Bardet set to retire in June, Degenkolb remains a key figure in the team’s spring classics and sprint efforts. "We understand each other. That also has to do with the fact that we have all stayed together as a team. We can all trust and know each other's strengths and weaknesses."

Degenkolb also addressed Fabio Jakobsen’s difficult first season with the team in 2024. "It's not up to me to motivate Fabio. It was a combination of several things that didn't go according to plan. I still believe he is well on his way to being competitive again and that he can win races." He elaborated, "It's a combination of things. He is more focused than in recent years, and I hope we can support him in the best possible way."

Despite his veteran status, Degenkolb embraces his leadership role. "Sometimes it is made out to be more than it is because, in the end, I am just John Degenkolb, and I try to be authentic and share the experience I have gained over the years. It is a role that I also really enjoy. And don't get me wrong: I never tell anyone they have to do something because I say so. And it helps me feel young and fresh with those young guys around me. I'm already 36 and have two years left in the sport."

Looking ahead, Degenkolb remains determined to perform at the highest level. "I still believe that - if I am healthy - I have the level to compete at the highest level. This spring will mainly be as a domestique, and then I can still take my chances occasionally.

"That way, I can focus on helping and preparing guys like Pavel Bittner and Nils Eekhoff, with whom I have a lot of faith. The gap to the top is still big in the classics, but that is not the main goal. One of these days, we just have to give it our best shot."

One race stands out in his mind. "If there is one race that I truly believe in, it is Roubaix. It is already marked in my calendar."