Jonas Bokeloh wrote his name into the history books by becoming world junior road race champion in Ponferrada, Spain in 2014. However, things haven't been so rosy in the two years since then and he's looking forward to pressing reset with An Post Chain Reaction.
By Brian Canty
He’s the former world junior road race champion but for German powerhouse Jonas Bokeloh that means absolutely nothing when he steps into the big, bad world of racing next Sunday.
The 20-year old German blasted to a landmark victory on Ponferrada in 2014 when he won the world title.
He did so with a devastating sprint but he came crashing down to earth a few months later when he entered the U23 ranks.
He laughs at the suggestion that early promise can be a pre-cursor to future success.
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“Absolutely not, going to the U23 ranks was like being a beginner again," the new An Post-Chainreaction rider told stickybottle.
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“It was beating after beating and I didn’t enjoy it. The first year U23 was difficult.
"It took me one month not to get dropped in the echelons,” he added of his season with the SEG Continental team.
Bokeloh joined Czech team Klein Constantia after a year at SEG but that was no better, with just two top 10 finishes.
“It’s all about positioning; the Dutch guys are a lot better at that than me.
"And that was quite a learning process. This is my third year U23 so you have to expect something.”
Bokeloh will start his season at the GP Marseillaise next Sunday followed by the four-day Etoile de Besseges a few days later.
Can he be the next great German sprinter and emulate Greipel and Degenkolb?
“I don’t know who comes closest to me in Germany now," he said.
"In the end, everyone has his own special ability but I’ll do what I can do best.”
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