Degenkolb may have found himself in the shadows of compatriot and team-mate Marcel Kittel this year, but the 24-year-old has also done enough to show he is a quality sprinter in his own right. A stage victory at the Giro d’Italia and second place to Peter Sagan during stage seven of the Tour de France showed his ability, while Kittel has praised Degenkolb for his role in the Argos-Shimano sprint train during the latter.

Furthermore, Degenkolb has stepped out of the shadows of late to end the year with some impressive results of his own, not least victory against a high-class field at Paris-Tours, following similar success at Paris-Bourges and two stage wins at the Tour de l’Eurometropole. Kittel has already stated his ambition to ride the Tour de France, with the German targeting the maillot jaune in Harrogate, so Degenkolb could well be given his chance to shine at the Giro d’Italia.