It might come as a surprise to a lot of people, but John Degenkolb (Argos-Shimano) does not consider himself a sprinter, at least not what he characterizes as a “pure sprinter.” Given that Degenkolb won no fewer than five sprints during the 2012 Vuelta a España, but the 25-year-old German sees things differently, he revealed in an interview with Velonews.com.

“When it’s a flat, fast sprint, when everyone is fresh to the line, I know I cannot beat the top sprinters. I am not as fast,” Degenkolb told VeloNews. “When it’s a hard race; when everyone is like this (Degenkolb pushes his thumb under his jaw), then I have a good chance to win.”

Degenkolb said that he realized that going up against riders like Mark Cavendish (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) or André Greipel (Lotto-Belisol) would be an exercise in futility for him and that, as a consequence, he would gladly line up behind his impressive teammate and fellow countryman Marcel Kittel, who confirmed his status as a sprinter by leaving France with four Tour stage wins to his name in 2013.

Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix as targets

On the other hand Degenkolb fancies his chances over more challenging terrain. That may explain why Degenkolb readily names the Tour of Flanders and the Paris-Roubaix as his preferred targets.

Degenkolb said without hesitation he’d take winning the Ronde van Vlaanderen (Tour of Flanders) over a Tour stage win. In his mind, there’s no question about which is more important.

“I’d love to win a monument some day,” he continued. “I can combine sprinting and the classics right now, and gain more experience in races like Flanders and Roubaix. Those are the races that motivate me.”

Like Kittel, he’s under contract with Argos through 2016. Unlike Kittel, Degenkolb knows he will not be winning down the Champs-Élysées.

Riding onto the velodrome in Roubaix with a small group, however, is an entirely different scenario.

“It would be a dream to race onto the velodrome with Boonen and Cancellara,” he said with a smile, without giving away how he thinks the race would end.

Degenkolb also stressed that he and Kittel could easily co-exist on the same team as a consequence of their different objectives. There would be no conflict of interests, he insisted.

Degenkolb said he’s happy to work as part of Kittel’s train in the mass sprints, and then hunt for his own chances when a hard course presents itself. And there’s something else that motivates him even more: the classics.

“Marcel is a big sprinter, and he’s proven he can win big races, so I have no problem with that role. If there are chances for me, then I will take them, but Marcel is our man for the sprints,” he continued. “I see my future in the classics, and in the hard races.”