Not content with having come back from being dropped today to take his first win of the season, John Degenkolb also looks to have saved junior Paris-Roubaix.
The German won a stage of the Tour de France last year over the famed pavé and into the Roubaix velodrome that host the spring classic.
He also won the Paris-Roubaix monument back in 2015 and was 2nd to Niki Terpstra the previous year.
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On hearing the junior version of the event was in financial trouble and facing cancellation this year, he sprung into action.
He has donated an undisclosed sum of money himself to help plug the gap created by the race's loss of sponsorship for the 2019 edition.
And he set up a GoFundMe page with the aim of raising €10,000 to save the race.
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John Degenkolb has also said that if the fund came up short, he would make up the missing sum to guarantee the race went ahead this year.
But as he was riding to victory today on the final stage of Tour de la Provence, the donations came rolling in.
At the time of writing the goal had been surpassed and just over €13,000 had been raised. That should be enough to ensure the race continues this year.
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Junior Paris-Roubaix is not alone in the cycling world in suffering financially. A number of teams have fold or merged with others and races have been lost.
Ireland's Aqua Blue Sport ProContinental team stopped last August. And the 2019 edition of Rás Tailteann has been cancelled because a title sponsor could not be found.
Degenkolb said he was shocked to hear an event like junior Paris-Roubaix was in trouble. And because he had such an affinity for the event he decided to step in personally.
“Immediately it was clear to me that I wanted to do everything possible to prevent this worst case,” he said of hearing the bad news,” he said.
“Not only because I have a very special relationship with Paris-Roubaix; a race that fascinated me already as I was a child and directly instilled in me a fascination for cycling.
“But also because of its importance for the support of young talents; in France, in Germany, worldwide.
"If cycling is to have a sustainable future we need such races for the young guns. I also benefited greatly from organisers and sponsors who allowed me to pursue my passion and career.”
He promised a ‘Dege Special Roubaix T-shirt’ for anyone who donated €25 or more.
Furthermore, he said if any money was left over, it would go to Amis de Paris Roubaix, the volunteer organisation that maintains the Paris-Roubaix pavé.
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