John Degenkolb facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
John Degenkolb

Degenkolb at the 2017 Tour de France
Personal information
Full name	John Degenkolb
Born	(1989-01-07) 7 January 1989 (age 36) Gera, East Germany
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Weight	77 kg (170 lb; 12 st 2 lb)
Team information
Current team	Team dsm–firmenich PostNL
Discipline	Road
Role	Rider
Rider type	Classics rider Sprinter
Major wins
Grand Tours Tour de France 1 individual stage (2018) Giro d'Italia 1 individual stage (2013) Vuelta a España Points classification (2014) 10 individual stages (2012, 2014, 2015) One-day races and Classics Milan–San Remo (2015) Paris–Roubaix (2015) Gent–Wevelgem (2014) Paris–Tours (2013) Vattenfall Cyclassics (2013) Eschborn–Frankfurt City Loop (2011) Münsterland Giro (2016) Other UCI Europe Tour (2012)

John Degenkolb, born on January 7, 1989, is a professional road bicycle racer from Germany. He rides for the UCI WorldTeam Team dsm–firmenich PostNL. He is famous for winning two of cycling's biggest one-day races, called "Monuments": the 2015 Milan–San Remo and the 2015 Paris–Roubaix.

John has also won stages in all three major cycling tours: the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia, and Vuelta a España. He won ten stages and the points competition in the Vuelta a España. In 2010, he won his first stage race, the Thüringen Rundfahrt der U23. He also finished second in the Under-23 race at the 2010 UCI Road World Championships.

Becoming a Professional Cyclist

Starting with HTC–Highroad (2011)

In 2011, John Degenkolb became a professional cyclist with the HTC–Highroad team. This team was known for having other great sprinters like Mark Cavendish. In his first year, he won stages in several races. These included the Volta ao Algarve and the Critérium du Dauphiné. He also won the Eschborn–Frankfurt – Rund um den Finanzplatz one-day race.

Joining Project 1t4i / Giant–Alpecin (2012–2016)

Big Wins in 2012

Degenkolb at the 2012 Olympic road race

After his first team closed, Degenkolb joined Project 1t4i in 2012. He won the overall title at the Tour de Picardie by winning two stages.

On August 19, he won his first stage in a "Grand Tour" at the Vuelta a España. He won five stages in total during that race. This included the final stage in Madrid. He also won the points classification jersey, which is given to the rider who earns the most points in sprints.

After the Vuelta, Degenkolb won the Grand Prix d'Isbergues. He also finished fourth at the UCI Road World Championships.

Success in 2013

In 2013, Degenkolb won a stage at the Giro d'Italia. This was his first win in the Italian Grand Tour. Later, he helped his teammate Marcel Kittel win four stages in the Tour de France. John then won the Vattenfall Cyclassics race in Germany. In October, he won two more races in France: Paris–Bourges and Paris–Tours.

More Victories in 2014

In 2014, Degenkolb won the Gent–Wevelgem race in Belgium. He also won a stage and the points classification at Paris–Nice. He continued his success at the Tour Méditerranéen, winning three stages and the points classification.

He had a fantastic Vuelta a España, winning four stages. He also won the points classification jersey for the second time. After the Vuelta, he had to go to the hospital for an infection.

Winning Two Monuments in 2015

Degenkolb (center) on the podium after winning the 2015 Paris–Roubaix

Plaque at the cobbled sector of Paris–Roubaix named after Degenkolb

The year 2015 was amazing for John Degenkolb. He won his first race of the year at the Dubai Tour. In March, he achieved his biggest win yet at Milan–San Remo. He won the sprint against other top riders.

A few days later, he won the famous Paris–Roubaix race. He became the first German rider to win this race since 1896. He was also the first rider since 1986 to win both Milan–San Remo and Paris–Roubaix in the same year.

During the Tour de France, Degenkolb was the main sprinter for his team. He finished in the top ten in eight stages. At the Vuelta a España, he won the final stage in Madrid. He also helped his teammate Tom Dumoulin in the overall race.

Later in 2015, Degenkolb aimed for the UCI Road World Championships. He finished 29th in the road race. He ended his season with a win at the Saitama Criterium in Japan.

A Challenging Year in 2016

On January 23, 2016, John Degenkolb and five teammates were hit by a car while training in Spain. He suffered several injuries, including cuts and a serious injury to his left index finger. He missed the important spring races.

He returned to racing in May at the Eschborn–Frankfurt – Rund um den Finanzplatz. He slowly regained his form. He competed in the Tour de France, where he finished fourth in two stages.

In August, he won his first race of the season at the Arctic Race of Norway. He also won the points classification there. He then finished second at the EuroEyes Cyclassics.

At the UCI Road World Championships in Qatar, he had a flat tire. This made it hard for him to stay with the lead group. He later had to stop racing due to exhaustion.

Moving to Trek–Segafredo (2017–2019)

2017 Season Highlights

Degenkolb after finishing third at the German National Road Race Championships

John Degenkolb started 2017 with a win on stage three of the Dubai Tour. He finished third overall in that race. In the spring races, he took on a leading role for his new team, Trek–Segafredo. He had strong results, finishing seventh at Milan–San Remo and fifth at Gent–Wevelgem. He also finished seventh at the Tour of Flanders and tenth at Paris–Roubaix.

He finished third at his home race, Eschborn–Frankfurt – Rund um den Finanzplatz. He also competed in the Tour de France, where he had several good sprint finishes.

Tour de France Stage Win in 2018

In January 2018, Degenkolb won two races at the Challenge Mallorca. He had a tough spring season due to illness and a crash at Paris–Roubaix.

At the Tour de France, Degenkolb had a great start. On stage nine, which included cobbled sections, he attacked with two other riders. He then outsprinted them to win his first ever Tour de France stage. It was a very emotional win for him.

Later in 2018, he finished second at the Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen and the Münsterland Giro. He also won the Japan Cup criterium race.

2019 Season

Degenkolb's first win of 2019 was on stage four of the Tour de la Provence. He finished second at Gent–Wevelgem and Eschborn–Frankfurt. He did not race in the Tour de France that year but competed in the Vuelta a España.

Joining Lotto–Soudal (2020–2021)

In 2020, John Degenkolb joined the Lotto–Soudal team. He started the 2020 Tour de France but had to leave the race after a crash. In September 2020, he won stage three of the Tour de Luxembourg. In 2021, he finished second at Eschborn–Frankfurt.

Returning to Team DSM (2022–Present)

In 2022, Degenkolb returned to his former team, now called Team DSM. His best result that year was fourth place at the Omloop van het Houtland. In 2023, he was part of the leading group in the final kilometers of Paris–Roubaix. He crashed after colliding with another rider but still finished seventh. Later that year, he finished eighth at the UEC European Road Championships.

In January 2024, John Degenkolb extended his contract with Team DSM until the end of the 2025 season.

Life Outside of Racing

John Degenkolb is married to Laura and they have two children. They live in Oberursel, Germany. Before becoming a full-time cyclist, John trained as a policeman.

Degenkolb at the cobbled sector of Paris–Roubaix named in his honor in 2020

In 2018, he became the first official ambassador for "Les Amis de Paris–Roubaix." This group of volunteers helps to keep the Paris–Roubaix race course in good condition. In 2019, Degenkolb started a fundraising campaign to save the Paris–Roubaix Juniors race for young riders. He quickly raised enough money to ensure the race could continue. Because of his efforts, a long cobbled section of the Paris–Roubaix race was named after him in 2020. He was the first non-French rider to have a section named in his honor.

Major Achievements

• Grand Tours:
  • Tour de France: 1 stage win (2018)
  • Giro d'Italia: 1 stage win (2013)
  • Vuelta a España: 10 stage wins (2012, 2014, 2015), Points Classification (2014)
• One-day Races and Classics:
  • Milan–San Remo (2015)
  • Paris–Roubaix (2015)
  • Gent–Wevelgem (2014)
  • Paris–Tours (2013)
  • Vattenfall Cyclassics (2013)
  • Eschborn–Frankfurt City Loop (2011)
  • Münsterland Giro (2016)
• Other:
  • UCI Europe Tour (2012)

Career Timeline in Grand Tours

Grand Tour	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023
Giro d'Italia	—	—	DNF	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Tour de France	—	—	121	123	109	148	121	111	—	DNF	—	105	145
Vuelta a España	144	131	—	116	90	—	DNF	—	124	—	—	124	—

Results in Major Classic Races

See also

In Spanish: John Degenkolb para niños