The days as a WorldTour rider are over for Michel Koch. The 23-year-old who has been riding for Cannondale in the past two years, wasn't offered a new contract after the merger with Jonathan Vaughters' Garmin-Sharp team and has now signed a deal with the German continental team Rad-Net Rose.

Koch who had already inicated his next step in an interview with radsport-news before he even signed the contract with the team led by German U23 national coach Ralf Grabsch, will now take on a captaincy role in the new team.

"I can give the young riders a tactical direction adn help them to stay calm in stressful situations," says the rider who lives in Italy, finished the 2014 Giro d'Italia and already in 2013 finished 7th in the opening time trial of the Tour de Suisse at the age of 21.

For the German, the spell at Rad-Net Rose should allow him to prepare for bigger tasks in the future. At just 23 years of age, Koch is still regarded as a talent. The youngster is convinced that he will have a good race schedule that will allow him to chase results.

"I will try to win as much as possible, especially in races like Eschborn-Frankfurt City Loop and Rund um Köln where the big teams are also present."

Furthermore, it is almost mandatory for Rad-Net Rose riders to be riding on the track.

"Who knows? Maybe the 2016 Olympic Games could be an issue for me," he says.