Martin Kohler has spent his entire career at the BMC Racing Team. Until, that is, he signed for Drapac, an Australian Pro Continental team, for 2015. That will present the 29-year-old Swiss rider with a new challenge for his career.

"It's good and I am pretty excited," Kohler told Cyclingnews about his time with his new team. "It's well organised and everybody has been really welcoming so I feel happy and comfortable already. I am excited to start the season."

"It's a totally new experience because since I turned pro, I only rode for BMC. I didn't really know any of my new teammates [when I joined Drapac] so it's a new step in my career but I think sometimes you need a change to move forward.”

Kohler will begin his season with the Tour Down Under and the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race, before targeting races in the USA, like the Tours of Utah, California and Colorado. He says he signed for Drapac as he wanted to be able to ride for himself, having devoted most of his career to being a domestique.

"Of course if I can win races my biggest goal is to get back winning like I was at U23 but also seeing the team growing and winning and progressing and getting bigger for 2016 and 2017," he said of his season aims.

"For sure at BMC I had hardly any freedom at all with world champions like Phillippe Gilbert and Cadel Evans on the team," he said. "Drapac is a bit smaller than BMC, so I think I'll get more chances to ride for myself but there are also good riders on the team so I'll help them to win as well. In general, I hope to have more freedom and go for my own chances than I had in the last seven years."

Whilst Kohler would love to return to the WorldTour at some point, for now he says he is focusing on enjoying his first season in his new surroundings.

"On one hand I am looking to go back to the WorldTour but we will see how the year goes but I really like the team and I don't have a reason to leave."