Despite the influx of new sprinters at MTN-Qhubeka, Gerald Ciolek is confident he will have his chance to shine in 2015.

"I think that we will have a different programme and there should be a lot of opportunities for everybody," he told Cyclingnews. "I think you need to prove your position in the team, it doesn't matter who else is in the team. It's a new situation but I'm not worried about it."

Riders like Thoe Bos, Reinardt Janse van Rensburg, Tyler Farrar and maybe even Edvald Boasson Hagen are all capable of winning from sprints, vastly reducing Ciolek’s chances of being bale to lead the team, which he has undisputedly done since 2013 in the sprints.

"I knew quite a few of them before and they are all really good guys. I didn't have any concerns about them and this week has shown that we will fit pretty well together," said Ciolek. "I rode with Edvald in T-Mobile and Colombia the year after. There weren't any problems and we worked super well together.”

"We need to have a good start and get some early good results then everything will work out well.”

Compared to his great 2013, where he won Milan-Sanremo, 2014 was more somber for the German, who won a stage of the Ruta del Sol and finished in the top ten in his Sanremo defence. He failed to shine at MTN-Qhubeka’s debut Grand Tour, the Vuelta a Espana, registering eleventh as his best result in a stage.

"There is definitely space for improvement. I just hope to do it better next year," he said to Cyclingnews. "I want to be 100 per cent at all of the races. It worked really well in 2013. It worked out for the first part of 2014. I was in top shape at San Remo, I was really good in the spring and I had some really good results like Ruta del Sol. Then, later in the year, I lost it somehow. It must have been some mistakes that I did but we will figure it out and do it better next year."

Ciolek will target another good Milan-Sanremo performance before preparing himself for the Tour de France, should his team be invited.

"I will just think about a good result, that was my goal in 2013 when I started the race and it was my objective last year. I think that both years I was at 100 per cent in terms of shape and if I can manage to get there in the same shape as the last two years then I have a good chance for a good result."

Ciolek’s 2015 programme will be similar to this year’s, with the Ruta del Sol then the Spring Classics, followed by Paris-Nice or Tirreno-Adriatico depending on if MTN-Qhubake are awarded a wild card invite. 2015 will be a big season for Ciolek, whose contract is up for renewal.

"I am really happy to be here," said Ciolek. "In terms of professionalism, I think that we are definitely on the same level as some of the WorldTour teams. What makes us different is the story behind our team. We are not only racing to represent our sponsor we are racing to represent our team and its mission."