Alexey Lutsenko is Kazakhstan’s big hope to defend their Olympic Road Race title in 2016. The former World U23 World Champion has finally shown his talent in 2015, when he won a Tour de Suisse stage for Astana and will base his 2016 around the Olympics.

“Next year is 2016 and Olympic year, so of course it is my main aim and Kazakhstan’s main aim for next season. I have my races planned for the next season towards the Olympic games and the preparation for the Tour de France will be important for this build-up,’ Lutsenko told PEZ Cycling.

Lutsenko will start in Algarve and build towards a second Tour de France and then the Olympics. Looking further ahead, the 23 year old wants to target Classics and stage races.

“In the next ten years I’m going to try to go for the general classification in week long stage races, for example Paris-Nice, races like this and I have plans to win the GC. If you look at the period of 10 years; I want to take part in different races, the Ardennes Classics and the Tour of Flanders.”

Lutsenko is able to learn from his hero Alexandre Vinokourov at Astana, who is also the youngster’s team manager. Lutsenko says that while he has a training plan, Vinokourov has advised him to ride on feel.

“My trainer gives me a training plan, it might be 5 hours one day, but if I feel a bit tired and don’t have enough strength, I keep calm and go by my feelings. Alexander says the same, if you feel this way you should ride less.”