Edward Theuns has been likened to Tom Boonen with his ability to go well in the cobbles, as evidenced by performances in the Scheldeprijs and Dwars door Vlaanderen, and he has a fast finish. The Topsport-Vlaanderen rider’s potential was spotted by Trek Factory Racing, who signed him on a two year deal.

“I’m really proud of my season. I was very good for all of the season, so that’s a good sign. I only won three races, so maybe for a rider like me that’s not enough but I had a lot of second and third places, so if I can turn those into victories that would be better. I had a breakthrough in the Flemish races – they’re the races I really like – so I hope I continue to do well. I showed I can win those races, I was second in Dwars, but I think I was the strongest, so I really think I can win those races,” the young rider told Cyclingnews.

Theuns spoke about the increase in pressure and responsibility that he faces having stepped up to the WolrdTour from Pro Continental level.

“It’s a different kind of riding. At Topsport we could do what we wanted and if we had good results it was great but if we didn’t it wasn’t a problem. Maybe that’s going to change a bit this year. We’ll race with one team leader in the Classics and that’s a big difference. At Topsport we didn’t have a training camp in December, so that’s new. All the activities, like bike fitting, social media training, a lot things change. We did testing on the track for the time trial position, so a lot is new for me.”

Theuns will get chances to ride for himself this spring, but in the biggest cobbled races, Fabian Cancellara will lead the team as he searches for an eighth Monument in his last season as a pro.

“One of the main goals for the team is winning a big Classic with Fabian. I hope to be a part of that. If I could help him to win a Classic that would be great. On the other side, in the races just behind the big Classics, I hope to get some good results and win those races.”

“I hope to perform at the same races I was good at this year. Last year I wasn’t so good at Flanders and Roubaix, because those races were still a bit too hard and long for me, but the 200km races in Flanders really suit me. I hope I can start them with more of a free role.”