Looking back at the 2014 season, it is hard to ignore the excellent performance by Sebastian Henao in the Giro d'Italia. In his first grand tour, the young Colombian proved that he has what it takes to climb with the best.

Sebastian Henao may be best known as Sergio's cousin but the 20-year-old Colombian excelled in the 2014 Giro d'Italia. He finished his first grand tour with an outstanding final week, proving his great potential as a climber.

"It's been a good year for me. It gives me confidence and above all, it has provided me with experience and taught me several lessons. I can say that I did it right," he tells ciclismointernacional.com in an interview.

The Colombian was strong in the Giro where he climbed with the best in the final week. He finished the race in 22nd overall and was 8th in the famous stage over Stelvio that finished in Val Martello.

"The team has a lot of confidence in me. I am happy at Sky the goal in 2015 is to do well in a grand tour," he said. And even though he doesn't have the final work, that grand tour has a name. "Yes, I like the Giro d'Italia. It is a beautiful race and the fans are spectacular. I want to return."

Due to his performances in May 2014, Henao will aim higher if he gets selected for the 2015 edition of the Italian grand tour. "In 2015, my ultimate goal is to be the best young rider in a grand tour, hopefully the Giro. So I am working very hard."

However, the young Colombian knows that he still has a lot to learn and that there are lots of leaders ahead of him in the internal Sky hierarchy. "I know that my main job is to be in great shape to work for the team leaders," he confirms.

"One of those leaders is Chris Froome. "He is a good person who gives a lot of advice. He is also very quiet as a rider and as a person," he said about the British team leader.

Henao's main strengths are his climbing skills but he also has other great abilities that makes him a real prospect for grand tour racing. "Although I finished 8th in the mountain time trial of the Giro, I must improve in the time trial. Now I am doing a lot of mountain biking and fitness to strengthen myself in that discipline," he reveals.

However, his secret weapon is his desire to win. "I think I have been doing well and I don't want to lose the hunger to succeed which is what leads to fight for what I want."

Henao does not know much about what the new season will offer. "I haven't made my schedule. I am working on that with the team and I will know more at the training camp in January. But everything will be focused on being in good shape at one of the grand tours."

Henao also learned that a grand tour is a testing affair. "I thought that the second part of the season would have been better. In the end, I felt a little bit of fatigue but in my first year I learned a lot for next season."

Hence, he draws a positive balance. "Personally, I feel great satisfaction to have finished the Giro d'Italia at 20 years of age. It gives me a lot of confidence. We will see what kind of natural evolution I will go through after his year's Giro."

However, Henao is not fully focused on the grand tours. "I really like stage races and I think the Tour of Poland is a nice race," he says.

Henao is very comfortable at Team Sky "The team has always treated me really well. It is a great group and I am happy here," he says.

Next year he may get the chance to ride more with his cousin Sergio who is expected to return to the peloton after he suffered a broken patella in a crash at the Tour de Suisse.