Tim Wellens is a real star of both the present and the future. The 23-year-old Belgian won a stage and the overall in the Eneco Tour as well as finishing fourth in Il Lombardia and he had a really attacking debut Grand Tour at the Giro d’Italia. He spoke recently to Ciclismo Internacional about 2014 success and his 2015 objectives.

One area Wellens didn’t excel in is the Ardennes Classics this year. He ssays he had to work for teammates, a statement that is backed up by his performance in August’s Eneco Tour, where he won solo on the La Redoute climb, used in Liege-Bastogne-Liege.

“I had very good legs in all the Ardennes Classics. There was no result because of the team tactics. I had to go in the attack just before the final, this is what I did.”

Wellens also turned in a surprising performance at the Belgian national time trial, coming second, something which even surprised the man himself.

“Yes, it was a surprise. I was good because I just did the classics.” He says he doesn’t do enough work on his TT bike and admits he has to improve. “I need to work harder on this. Next year I’m going to focus more on this.”

Wellens continued his form in his debut Grand Tour, the Giro d’Italia in May, where he experienced the warmth and support of the Irish crowds.

“It was amazing! (There was) A lot of people. It was a very nice experience, and I would like to go back. The landscape reminded me a little bit of the Ardennes.”

Wellens took a significant result, finishing second on stage six, behind Michael Matthews, a day that is as well remembered for the result as it was for the crash that occurred at the start of the climb.

“It was just next to me, so I was very lucky not to fall. But luck, you make yourself. Yes I thought I could win. I believed in it, but Matthews was just better then me.”

He then made breaks on stages 14 and 17, but he was disappointed with how his results went on those occasions.

“I was disappointed on stage 14 because I had hoped to end better. I put too much effort into the KOM jersey. I prefer to have a good result, looking back at it. I was disappointed again on stage 17, because I had a big chance of winning (but Pirazzi escaped in the finale and won, leaving Wellens 2nd ed.)

Wellens then finished ninth on the ITT to Cima Grappa, rounding off a splendid debut in a three-week race.

“I would directly have signed, to ride this good in my first Grand Tour!”

Wellens admitted riding the Giro helped his legs as “everything seemed much easier after the Giro”. He went on to finish second overall in the Ster ZLM Toer, a race which is rather similar to the Eneco Tour and Ardennes Classics, hence why Wellens was so good and a rider like Philippe Gilbert won.

The, Wellens headed to the Eneco Tour, where he would really make his mark.

“(My aim was) To do a good GC. But I was unsure because I was a little sick just before the Eneco tour.”

Wellens was 49 seconds behind leader Tom Dumoulin on stage 6 and planned his attack to try and win the stage and take time, which he executed to perfection, taking the stage win and the race lead all alone on La Redoute.

“I was tremendously happy! It’s a few hours after the race that you really realise that you have won.” He achieved one of his dreams by winning a GC: “Much sooner then expected.”

Wellens kept going, finishing sixth in GP Plouay, being aggressive in the Canadian WorldTour races and he then headed into the World Championships where he was again asked to attack in the finale to help Greg van Avermaet and Philippe Gilbert. He then headed to Lombardy, where he again attacked first up the final climb to Bergamo Alta and stayed with the front group to finish fourth on the new course, which he likes and says “is more open as more people can win.”

In 2015, he will be marked much more closely and results will be harder to obtain, but Wellens will not change his style.

“I will wait really until the final to attack. Yes it will be tougher, because if I ride the same as this season, people will say that it was not a good season. I need to progress. And it’s not easy to win a pro tour race.”

He says he can cope with the extra responsibility of being a leader and he now has more respect from his teammates, and he will turn his attention to his first goals for 2015.

“The Ardennes Classics, & Paris-Nice. After that I will see.”

His biggest challenge for next year will be “To progress and to ride better then this year.”

Wellens has a remarkably calm head on his shoulders for one so young and expect to see him on the offensive in as many races as possible in 2015.