After making the move from being a domestique at BMC to being charged with leading Team Bora-Argon 18 at the Tour de France, Dominik Nerz is adjusting to the challenges of team leadership.

The 25-year-old German spoke to CyclingQuotes.com about leading the team in July and the season he has so far, which he confessed has been blighted by illness.

Nerz is no stranger to leading a team, having led BMC at the past two Vueltas, where he has finished in the top 20. However, he had Samuel Sanchez in 2014, with Bora-Argon 18 this year, he will be the sole leader of the team for GC, where there will be more pressure, especially as he has to fill the big boots of Leopold Konig.

“It’s a big responsibility but at the same time a great honor to hold this leading position. I work very hard to fulfill this role in the best possible way.”

Nerz shows just how focused on his goal of the Tour he is, as when we asked him if there were any other races apart from the Tour he would like to target, he was clinical in his reply.

“My one and only objective for 2015 is the Tour de France.”

He has gained confidence from the last two Vueltas, finishing 14th and 18th with BMC, saying he could have gone better in 2014, hinting that Samuel Sanchez’s high GC presence held him back slightly. This has given him huge confidence ahead of the Tour de France.

“The Vuelta has been very important for me although I had to put back my own interests due to the team politics. But the Vuelta also showed me that I am able to finish a three-week tour in the upper ranks if I have the full team support.”

With 14th in the 2013 Vuelta as his best Grand Tour GC result, he replied that a top 15 on GC would satisfy him for the upcoming Tour, when we asked about what it would take for him to call the Tour a success.

“This is hard to tell because many things can happen during a three week tour. But for myself I would consider anything among the top 15 as a satisfying result for me.”

While he is yet to crack the top ten of a Grand Tour GC, Nerz has been close on a few occasions to taking a Vuelta stage, and says he would love to finally win a pro race at the Tour de France, something that he has got the ability to do, particularly as the race wears on.

“I believe this is the dream of any rider in this world to win a stage at the biggest most know bike race. For me personally it would be the utmost success to be reached.”

But focusing on the present, Nerz says he hasn’t enjoyed his 2015 so far, as illness has destroyed the first few months of his season and he is only finding his feet and racing legs now.

“Unfortunately the season 2015 didn’t start as I hoped for due to illness. But now I recovered and I am on a good way. And regarding my season highlight we still have some time.”

He has had great first impressions of Bora-Argon 18 so far, and he says leading them in the Tour as a German on a German team will be extra special.

“It has been the right decision to move to BORA–ARGON 18. The support and help I receive from my team is simply overwhelming. It will be very special (to ride the Tour) and I am looking very much forward to it.”