Laurens De Plus: 'I want to prove myself and show what I can do at Ineos Grenadiers'

Laurens De Plus says he can't wait to kickstart his career at Ineos Grenadiers in the upcoming 2021 season after only appearing for former team Jumbo-Visma four times in 2020.

The reason for De Plus' lack of racing was because of an ongoing hip injury alongside the issues of the Covid-19 global pandemic surrounding the whole year.

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Speaking to Sporza's podcast, De Tribune, De Plus says: "I was very happy when I was allowed to put on the Ineos outfit for the first time on January 1. It gave me an adrenaline boost, I am really looking forward to be able to shine again this year as in 2019.

"[2020] was a bit disappointing. Due to the lockdown, the entire season was crammed into three months. That hip injury before the restart of the season was therefore very inconvenient.

"Thanks to [Primož] Roglič's victory in Liège, I was still able to say goodbye to the team [Jumbo-Visma] in a nice way. Otherwise it would have been sour."

The 25-year-old says he is really looking forward to showing what he can do in front of his new team-mates and to aim for some big targets.

De Plus' brother has been with the British team for some time as a mechanic which reassured him that the team is an ideal fit.

The Belgian isn't coming to Ineos as yet another domestique in the mountains, and while he will have to support the big names, he will also have the lead at races like the Ardennes Classics.

He continued: "It will not be as everyone probably thinks, I really have ambition.

"We agreed with the team that I will still go to the Grand Tours and support the leaders. But in certain races I will be allowed to take my own chances."

Ineos have allowed De Plus to choose some races in his race calendar: "I have indicated that the Ardennes Classics are close to my heart. The plan is to be good there and to get a free role."