The 21-year-old rider from Luxembourg rode 2013 as neo-pro, and he is now ready for bigger challenges

Bob Jungels is still partially wet behind the ears, but has already proven that he can race with the best in the WorldTour. In 2013 he managed an impressive solo win, during the GP Nobili, and won almost a minute ahead of established stars Daniele Bennati and Simone Ponzi. He also won the fourth stage of the Tour of Luxembourg, and then became national champion in both the road race and in the individual time trial. Impressive to say the least.

In an interview with CyclingMole he now reveals his plans for the coming season.

“I will start in February with Dubai Tour followed by Tour Méditerranné, Paris-Nice, Critérium International, Basque Country and the 3 Ardennes Classics. That’s the plan for now,” Jungels told CyclingMole, and proceeded to describe his goals: “It’s important for me to get some experience in the stage races and Ardennes Classics, that’s the main goal for 2014. I’m going to race on a different level as this year, so it’s difficult to set goals, but I will try to take every possibility I’ll get to make a result.”

Jungels also elaborated on his distinct skillset, and reflected on his future ambitions.

“I showed a few times that I’m not bad in TTs and I saw this year that I’m not the worst climber either, but I know that I have to progress a lot in the mountains. My goal is to be competitive in the stage races and the hard one-day races like the Ardennes Classics, because I think that these races suit me best.”

Jungel has a stellar U23 background, with a win during the Paris-Roubaix, overall at the Flèche du Sud and the Triptique des Monts et Châteaux, and a podium in the European ITT Championships. The blend of climbing and time trialing abilities makes Jungels an obvious candidate for future stage races. When asked about potential Grand Tour appearances in 2014 the young Luxembourgian replied:  

“Probably yes, but I don’t know which one. You always have to be in the selection for a grand tour, so it depends on my condition and results but the Vuelta would be a nice introduction to the grand tours.”

“The team has always at least one leader for a grand tour, so my role will be to help our leader. If there is a possibility to get a free card to play on a stage, I will take it with pleasure,” Jungels told CyclingMole.

Trek manager Luca Guercilena is impressed by the young rider, and to VeloNation he revealed his impressions of his team’s Luxembourgian.

 “There's no secret that Bob is a very valuable rider in our long-term plans. Besides his talent and versatility, he knows that one has to work hard in order to achieve success,” he said.

“In his first year as a professional he already showed us a bit of what he's capable of in the future and he will be a resource to the younger members of the team. We need to see how he develops and whether the focus for him will be more on the Classics, the time trials or the stage races. In any case, we're very happy to have him on board!”