Diego Ulissi was the star of the final part of the season when the Italian won three big Italian one-day races. In 2014, he aims to build on his success in the classics, at the Worlds and in the Giro where he will chase stage wins rather than a high overall result.

The end of the 2013 season became the time when Diego Ulissi finally revealed the true extent of his potential. Since turning professional with Lampre in 2010, he had already taken 10 wins - most importantly a stage win in the Giro in 2011 - but it was his showing in the late-season Italian one-day races that proved just how strong the 24-year old Italian is.

After preparing himself for the world championships in the Vuelta a Espana where he came close to a stage win on stage 19, he rode in support of Vincenzo Nibali at the world championships. Those races allowed him to reach a blistering condition that saw him win the Milan-Turin, Coppa Sabatini and Giro dell'Emilia in an impressive demonstration of power.

Ulissi is both a strong climber and a fast finisher and has all the characteristics to become one of the best riders for the hilly one-day races. He has already made it clear that he will target success in the Ardennes classics where he will form a very strong trio with Rui Costa and Damiano Cunego.

He has already finalized the schedule that will bring him to the classics in the best possible condition.

"I will begin in early January at the Tour Down Under where I will have the opportunity to work in the heat and improve my condition," he told Spaziociclismo. "However, I do not go there to get a result. The important thing is to improve my condition for the first important races like the Tirreno-Adriatico, Milan-Sanremo and the classics."

Milan-Sanremo may be known as a race for the fast riders but the inclusion of the Pompeiana climb is expected to tilt the balance away from the sprinters. This has opened the door for a rider like Ulissi who is just one of several climbers to focus on the Italian one-day race in 2014.

"Until last year it was not a race perfectly suited to my characteristics but for faster and more powerful riders," he said. "The inclusion of Pomepiana changes everything and it might be suitable to my characteristics. Soon I'm going to see it and see what I can do."

In 2011, Ulissi rode his first grand tour at the Giro where he won a stage and did the Italian grand tour again in 2012. In 2013 he did his first Vuelta but has never done a grand tour with a focus on GC.

That won't change in 2014 as he will once again ride the Giro with a focus on select stages.

"After the classics, I will do the Giro d'Italia with the goal of winning stages. I do not feel that I am ready to go for the GC. Or rather, if I can target an 8th or 9th place on GC, I prefer to chase stage wins.

"There are several stages that suit me well and have final where I can use my characteristics, so they will be my goal," he added. "In the future, we will see if I can be competitive for the GC."

In 2013 Ulissi earned a spot on the Italian team for the world championships on home soil. Next year's hilly course in Ponferrada could suit him equally well and he hopes to once again get selected for the national team - maybe even in a leadership role.

"I will definitely try," he said. "I am training to get better in the longer races. I am only 24 years old and so have time to improve on this aspect. Next year I hope to be competitive over long distances. Regarding the Worlds, my sports director Matxin told me that the course will suit me. I will do a second part of the season where I will skip the Vuelta but I will participate in all the events that lead up to the Worlds. I will be ready for the race and then we will see if I can earn a spot on the roster."

In 2013 Ulissi won 6 races to make it his most successful season yet.