Rohan Dennis had a great 2015 season. He won the Tour Down Under and broke the UCI Hour record during the winter. He wore the yellow and blue jersey at the Critérium du Dauphiné and won the first stage at the Tour de France. But according to the BMC Racing Team rider, he could do better.

"A lot of people say 'oh you had a great year in 2015', and you can line up all the things I achieved, but there was a massive period from the Hour Record to the Dauphiné where I didn't get a win, and that was eating away at me," the Australian tells Cyclingnews. "I look at the things I didn't achieve on my goals list, and find out why, and what I can do better. A lot of people look at the things they did achieve; I do look at them as well, but if you always beat you own drum and don't look at what you can improve on then you'll never actually go forward."

"I had a great year, yeah, but the problem is I've got this issue of wanting more," Dennis says, acknowledging that this 'problem' is, paradoxically, both a symptom of and contributor to his success. "You can ask my girlfriend. I beat my head against a brick wall and I drive her up the wall. She wants to kill me sometimes, because I'm like, 'Why can't I win?’ and she's like, 'You've already won 10 times more than
most people do in a whole career!' 

"I want to win that, though, and why didn't I win it?" is the usual response.

Now, Dennis wants to be a leader in the three-week races. But with 2016 being an Olympic year, he will focus only on time trialling. After Rio, he will turn his attention to grand tours. "I've heard people say 'do you really want to sacrifice, or risk, four to six years of your career to sort of see if you may become a GC contender?'"

"My argument is: 'Did you regret doing it when you tried?' If I didn't do it and got to 35 – which is when I'd think about retiring – and I didn't try it, and just stuck with something I know I'm good at, then I would be kicking myself and saying, 'What if? Why didn't I try it?'"