Nils Ehoff (opens in new tab) is looking to turn a disastrous experience at the World Championships in Yorkshire (opens in new tab) into something more positive for his debut World Tour season with Team Sunweb. (opens in new tab)

The Dutch rider crossed the finish line in first place in September's under-23 road race, but crashed with less than 130km to go and used the slipstream of a team car to return to the peloton, prompting a jury to review the video footage, He was disqualified.

Ehoff was not informed of his disqualification until after a long delay after the race, during which he celebrated with his teammates. The disqualification case has now been referred to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), but no date has been set for the hearing.

In a recent Team Sunweb team presentation in Amsterdam, Eickhoff admitted that it took him some time to process what happened at the World Championships, but that he is determined to use the experience positively.

"I'm actually pretty positive. Of course, it was really hard at the time, but I had time to think it over. I went on vacation and sorted out my feelings. Now I'm just looking forward to the season starting and the future," he told Cycling News.

"I'm really proud of my performance that day and what I accomplished. I'm really proud of my performance that day and what I accomplished. That moment has already been taken away from me and I can't get it back, but the images are there and the strength I had that day is in my heart. It's not going anywhere and I have it in the future"

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Eickhoff is determined to move forward and make this the best year of his cycling career, but the CAS issue is still lingering. However, the 21-year-old cannot afford to get caught up in the ongoing case and knows that his first year on the World Tour will be challenging enough.

"The team, and the entire cycling community, has responded wonderfully to me. The case has now been submitted to CAS and all parties need to complete the paperwork regarding their decision. That is in progress, but I don't know where it is now. Theoretically we could still be world champions, but it is all up to interpretation."

"But I know that staying in the past too long will only have a negative effect. Now I'm trying to turn the experience into positive energy so I can show what I'm capable of. Being on the World Tour is a big step, and I need to adapt. Of course, I want to show what I'm capable of."

The Under-23 Paris-Roubaix winner has not yet received his full race program, but will likely be part of Team Sunweb's Classics group early in the season. Although he is not scheduled to make his debut in the Tour Down Under, Eickhoff is open to taking on a Grand Tour in his first year as a professional.