John Degenkolb didn't claim as many victories last season as he could, but steady progress of the 25-year old powerful German was absolutely unquestionable. Now the Giant-Alpecin rider claims that he has all his goals for 2015 figured out well and that he knows where to find this little bit of extra to transform his near-misses into won races.

According to Biciciclismo, aiming to reach a top disposition for spring classics again, Degenkolb will start his 2015 season with appearances in Dubai Tour, Vuelta a Murcia and Vuelta a Andalucia. The 25-year old German will next head to the Paris-Nice and season's first monument – Milano-Sanremo, before kicking-off a Flemish classics campaign. The Giant-Alpecin rider is expected to participate in four cobbled one-day races: E3 Harelbeke, Gent-Wavelgem, Ronde van Vlaanderen and Paris-Roubaix.

Last year's victory in Gent-Wavelgem and runner-up finish at Paris-Roubaix were a confirmation of Degenkolb's prowess as a cobbled classics specialist and now the powerful German wants to continue his steady progress, eager to make up on his almost countless near-misses from the previous season. Enough to say that the Giant-Alpecin rider finished runner-up 16 times last year.