Despite having began his pro career at the WorldTour’s opening race in Australia and concluding his neo-pro year at the WorldTour’s final event in Beijing, Calvin Watson of Trek Factory Racing is already looking forward to 2015.

"It's definitely been a great year and a massive learning experience for sure," Watson told Cyclingnews. "There has been a huge increase in racing coming from the amateurs in Italy to racing a lot of WorldTour races.

"It's been big step up but I think in my body and my mind, I've dealt with it well. I can definitely take a lot of positives away from this year and I am already looking forward to next year and putting all the new things that I've learnt into place and seeing where it takes me."

Watson had to adjust to the hardships and the pace of top tier racing, but says that despite the difficulties, he felt like he belonged in the bunch.

"I never expected it to be easy," Watson said of his expectations of professional racing. "For sure at times it was very tough and maybe I underestimated how big a step it was going to be but it was definitely tough and I had some moments where I was just struggling to cope with the racing."

"On the other hand, I had moments where I just felt great and had really positive racing experiences. I was right amongst the action which was nice."

Watson set an objective for 2014 to listen to his body in order to ensure he didn’t do too much in his debut season and burn himself out, something other young riders like Moreno Moser have experienced in recent seasons.

"Having a bit more respect for your body and just learning when's the right time to train hard and when's the right time to let your body relax and recover from the racing," he said. "That was probably the biggest thing I learned throughout the year.

"Just learning from guys like Frank [Schleck] and other guys that I was at races with throughout the year and knowing when's the right time to get home from a stage race and just really let the body relax was another."

Watson told Cyclingnews in February that he aimed to make it to the Criterium du Dauphine in his best shape, but that wasn’t possible this year.

"At the beginning of the year, the Dauphiné was going to be the last race before I had a little break in the mid-season but I actually ended up going to Tour de Romandie and then straight from there to Tour of California," he said. "After that, I was pretty run down and my body was just in need of rest and a bit of recovery, so in the end the team and myself came to the conclusion that it was probably best to miss the Dauphiné."

"It's one of those races that it's not really beneficial for myself and the team to be riding on my limit. We discussed that and in the end it was probably the best decision that I made as it meant I could have a short break and be ready for the second half of the year."

However, Watson soon headed back on his back and was in the USA to ride in Utah and Colorado as part of Jens Voigt’s farewell race.

"It was a real honour to be with Jens in his last race," he said. "I was rooming with him in Utah and Colorado, and Colorado was a special moment to be part of his farewell race. I was lucky in that sense and I learnt a lot from Jens."

Watson also gained an experience when he rode Fleche Wallonne and Liege-Bastogne-Liege for the first time.

"They were really cool races. It was really nice to be there because in the future I think I'll look to excel in those one-day races. So to go there this year as a neo-pro was really cool. Especially having Frank and Andy there as they're guys who have been in the top places for the last five years or so."

"It was definitely a lot of stress and pressure on the team to do well but I just really embraced the whole experience from being there and learning for the future. That was definitely a highlight of the season to line up at Liège and Fleche Wallonne."

"I would look down that path at excelling in the one-day races but it's still kind of hard to mark myself as one thing. I am still only 21 so there is room for improvement and I am learning so I don't want to say that's the path that I'll take. I am just seeing where it all takes me at the moment."

"I think it's important to set goals and have a target so you don't get lost or fall into the position of just being a worker or doing the job for someone else. Especially for the younger riders, I think it's important not to lose the vision of winning. At the end of the day, we all want to win at some point in our career."

One goal Watson has for 2015 is to ride his debut Grand Tour, with the Giro d’Italia in May looking like the most likely option for now.

"At this stage, we've thrown around the idea of doing the Giro which would be quiet cool," he said. "I've always enjoyed racing in Italy and racing as an amateur there has given me a soft spot in my heart. So to go to the Giro would be a great experience but it's hard to say at the moment. Once I speak to the team in December, I'll have a better idea."

Watson may miss his home races in Australia (Down Under and Nationals) in order to have a full offseason. But that is a sacrifice he looks wiling to make in order to achieve his goals in 2015.

"I hope after this break that I'll be able to come back and find a higher level than I have in the past. I am looking forward to that and I am ready to start working hard and prepare for next year.”