Warren Barguil says that riding his first Tour de France in 2015 has changed him as a rider, both mentally and physically. He says that he will return to his home Grand Tour in 2016 looking for a serious place overall.

“It changed me both physically and mentally: the Tour is the toughest race I’ve ever done,” Barguil told Cyclingnews at the Giant-Alpecin team presentation in Berlin on Thursday. “It’s gruelling for three weeks solid, with the pressure of the media and all the public around it, and the speed of the race. It’s completely from other races, even from other Grand Tours.”

After taking fourteenth overall in his first attempt, the Frenchman is aiming to add a top ten at the Tour to his same placing at the 2014 Vuelta a Espana. The White Jersey for best young rider is also a goal.

“I’ve seen that it’s possible to finish in the top ten, so I’ll do everything to be there,” he said. “Beyond that, there’s the white jersey. I was third in the young rider classification last year, and this time around the top two [Nairo Quintana and Romain Bardet – ed.] aren’t under 25 anymore, so that’s an objective too. But the main goal is to be in the top ten.”

Barguil also says he thinks the route is less complicated in 2016, with less hidden obstacles like echelons or cobbles.

“It seems a lot more straightforward than last year, with fewer chances of echelons and so on,” he said. “There’s a long time trial this year alright, but I’ve been training a lot more on my time trial bike to prepare for it. It’s not something I really enjoy, I have to say, but I’m forcing myself to do it because I neglected it in the past.”