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Adelaide, Australia (VN) – Confidence breeds confidence, and a strong start to 2023 bodes well for budding WorldTour star Magnus Sheffield.
Sheffield Wednesday pedaled through a series of setbacks to close the Santos Tour Down Under on a high Sunday and will take the momentum back to Europe.
The Ineos Grenadiers rider overcame a high-profile spat with Crash, Crosswinds and Michael Matthews to hit the podium in the white jersey of best young rider all week and finish fourth on his 2023 debut.
Sheffield said, “The week was full of ups and downs.” “I think we can use this momentum for the rest of the season.
“It was my first race when I really tried to live up to the WorldTour, and I can be happy with the people I was competing with.”
First up is the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race on Sunday, with the team hoping to make an impression to close out their Australian adventure.
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The 20-year-old is coming off his impressive rookie season with three pro wins and confirmed in Australia that it was no fluke.
For 2023, Sheffield is setting the bar even higher, with ambitions to win and race in its first grand tour.
Sheffield confirmed velo news Last week a Tour de France debut could take place later this season and said Santos is setting the tone for the Tour Down Under season.
“I came here with really big ambitions,” Sheffield said. I was able to fight the crash this entire week. So I think I can be really happy with the performance of the team, but also with my own performance.
“I would love to come home with a win,” he said. “I can be really happy with how I started this season leading up to 2023. And I really hope I can keep this momentum going.”
setting even higher heights in 2023
That he went on to win the WorldTour opener in Sheffield, Australia last week, reveals the depth of his character and the extent of his ambitions.
Last year, he won three times, becoming the first American male to win the Brabants Pijl.
read this also: Tour de France on the radar for Sheffield in 2023
His first big target for 2023 awaits on the bergs and cobblestones of northern Europe. He will race the “opening weekend” in Belgium, and will then have a full calendar of racing from Strade Bianche to Liège–Bastogne–Liège.
Sheffield said, “This race set the tone for the way the Classics would go in Europe.” “So I think it also shows that I’m still able to climb with these guys. I’m not at my best right now. I think I can be really happy with my form, but for now It’s January.
“The classics are a big focus for me, especially early in my career.”
‘You have really big shoes to fill’
Sheffield will have plenty of chances to win in 2023.
He is part of a new wave of young riders making their way up the peloton and into the Ineos Grenadiers hierarchy.
Sheffield is showing a maturity and depth beyond his years, and he is calmly taking on the role as leader of cycling’s richest team.
“On this team, you have really big spots to fill,” he said. “But I feel like I’ve been able to progress fairly quickly. And I’m getting more comfortable with the leadership role.
“I came here as a co-leader, but I felt like I was able to carry the weight pretty well. And I think I can learn from that and hopefully I can continue to make progress .
read this also: Geraint Thomas at retirement crossroads
He said riders like Geraint Thomas and 2022 Paris-Roubaix champion Dylan van Baarle (now on Jumbo-Visma) have helped him find his footing in the WorldTour.
“I think I started to learn what it was like to be a leader at the Tour of Denmark last year, especially running with guys like ‘G’ or running the Classics with Dylan,” Sheffield said. “I look up to these guys as role models and I will say that leadership can come off the bike and sometimes it’s the things you don’t say.”
Sheffield says he is proud to race in the Ineos Grenadiers jersey and wants to play his part in continuing the team’s winning tradition.
“I think the values that the team stands by are also really important,” he said. “So it is something the team talks about a lot as well, which is respect for older riders, and what it means to wear the Ineos jersey. It takes a level of maturity to ride for this team.”
Sheffield travels to Geelong for the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race on Sunday before returning to Europe.
It feels really good to come back wearing the white jersey. Proud of fighting through a long week of racing day after day. 🎯 Another chance to go for @CadelRoadRace before going back to Europe. pic.twitter.com/JHyqoZlbuf
— Magnus Sheffield (@MagnusSheffield) January 25, 2023
