Jempy Drucker’s rise in the professional peloton has been a discreet but effective one. The 27 year old is enjoying his third season in the Professional Continental ranks and recently, in his first attempt, racked up a top 20 in Paris Roubaix. The sprinter from the Wanty-Groupe Gobert team says although he was there to just gain experience, he instantly fell in love with the race.

“For sure my past experience in cyclocross helped me riding over the cobbles and having a good eye for taking the best track. The main goal was to get some experience and follow the best guys as long as I could. After the Arenberg I attacked a few times in order to gain some ground for when the big guys started their engines but I couldn’t get away. I hung on as long as I could and finally arrived in the velodrome in the 3rd group sprinting for 19th place. I fell in love with the race and I enjoyed every second of it,” Drucker said.

The result topped off what’s been a fruitful classics campaign. The rider from Luxembourg has gone about his season quietly picking up impressive results such as 4th place in Dwars door Vlaanderen and 6th in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. Further top ten’s include 8th on stage 4 of Etoile de Besseges 9th in Nokere Koerse and on stage 2 of Etoile de Besseges while finishing 10th the following day in the French race.

Drucker started off his Belgian campaign with great motivation which grew after his Het Nieuwsblad result. 

 “It was the first big race of the season and the first classic so everybody wanted to do well. As former cyclocross rider, the cold and rain didn’t affect me much and I tried to stay focused on racing and not think much about the cold. I felt pretty good but was a bit isolated in the front group as I was the only rider from my team up there so I couldn’t play much of a tactical game and just focused on the sprint. I was eventually in the group sprinting for 6th place and won the sprint which made me happy.”

Only two weeks would pass until Drucker would have his classics ability and form confirmed when he narrowly missed the podium in Dwars door Vlaanderen.

“I knew that in this race I could do a good result as it sometimes ends in a sprint of a big group so I was very motivated to do well. I managed to stay in front on every important section in the race and finally I was in a group sprinting for 2nd where I ended up 4th overall. After the race I was disappointed about missing a podium spot by half a bike.”

It’s been the best start to the season so far for Drucker and if previous years are to repeat itself, he’ll get stronger as time goes by.