John Degenkolb’s spirited defence of the leader’s jersey at Paris-Nice – earned on the stage three, before he bravely sought to keep hold of it on the altogether punchier stage four – showed why Giant-Shimano chose to back the German to lead their Classics team at Milan-San Remo and Gent-Wevelgem.
Comfortable on short, sharp climbs, Degenkolb was earmarked as a contender for Milan-San Remo but missed his shot at victory after puncturing at the foot of the Poggio. He called it the “most disappointing day” of his career.
But he showed great grit and determination to bounce straight back. Perhaps overlooked for Gent-Wevelgem thanks to the form of the likes of defending champion Peter Sagan (Cannondale) and compatriot Andre Greipel (Lotto-Belisol), Degenkolb stormed to victory after emerging from the incident-packed finale to celebrate the biggest one-day victory of his career.
Giant-Shimano, thanks also to Luka Mezgec’s hat-trick of wins at the Volta a Catalunya, have enjoyed quite a week and Degenkolb’s victory caps it.