Jonas Lutz made a name for himself in the spring with a big win in the U23 edition of Gent-Wevelgem. As a result, the 21-year-old German signed a two-year contract with EF-Education First, and during the team's winter training camp in Girona, the neo-pro sat down with Cyclingnews to tell us his story so far.

Cyclingnews: How did you get into cycling?

Jonas Rucci: My father went to the same East German boarding school as Jan Ulrich and Jens Voigt. He almost became a professional cyclist, but a knee injury forced him to stop. He started with mountain biking, but also did speed skating and, in the winter, ice skating.

My father told me that I was too big and tall for mountain biking and that I should try road biking to see how I could handle it. I was 13 or 14 at the time and soon had some success.

CN: Who were your childhood sports heroes?

JR: I didn't have any particular heroes. I watched the Tour de France, and Jan Ullrich was there, but I didn't have any so-called "heroes". Instead, I preferred to go my own way. I watch triathlon, I watch a little bit of track and field, but I don't have anyone that I would call a hero.

CN: How did you step up to EF-Education First?

JR: This year I won the U23 version of Gent-Wevelgem. At the beginning of the winter I focused all my training on that race and worked really hard. When the race started I knew I could win because my preparation went so well. I targeted that race because if you look at me, I am a typical classic rider. Tall, strong, a little heavy but not too heavy. Also, I was able to win early that year because it got me noticed and took some of the pressure off of me afterwards.

There were two other teams that showed interest in me, but EF-Education First was the first to materialize. Above all, I liked the atmosphere and the vibe from the very first moment. They were cool, so they were the perfect team for me.

CN: What has been your biggest result as a rider so far?

JR: The best result was in Gent-Wevelgem, but before that I was second in the U23 race in Eschborn-Frankfurt in 2018. He did well in the German national series, but his big international success came this spring in Belgium.

CN: What style of rider are you?

JR: As I lose some weight and get older, I could grow more in stage races. I also think I could make great progress in time trials. I've never had a bike fitting before, so I've just been sitting on the bike and pedaling as hard as I can. I'm really looking forward to my first bike fitting here and so far it's been great. The team is really friendly and I'm a little nervous, but I think that's a normal feeling. I'm sharing a room with Taner Kangat at camp and he's really experienced and helpful with information and tips.

CN: What are your goals for your first season?

JR: To learn a lot and learn fast. Other than that, I don't have any specific goals. My first race is the Tour Down Under, and I plan to run a block race in Australia, then go back and run the opening weekend. I'm really looking forward to my debut race because I've never been to Australia and the furthest I've been is to Qatar for the 2016 Junior World Championships.