Each month we’ll hear from one of our esteemed WorldTour stars and ask them to share their memories of what it was like during their formative years in road racing, and for them to offer words of wisdom for the 11 young riders who make up this year’s exciting U23 roster.

First up, we have the ever-popular and hugely experienced Michael Valgren. The Dane is a WorldTour veteran, and going into his 12th season at the top of the sport.

Cycling has changed so much since I turned pro back in 2014, and the young riders these days know so much more than I did back then. That said, there’s still a lot of information and knowledge that we as experienced pros can pass down to the next generation of talent, whether it’s at training camps or a race, we’re always here to listen and offer advice. Education isn’t just a word we have on our amazing jerseys, it’s a word that we live by too.

When I was a young pro I made lots of mistakes, and let me tell you, it’s totally normal to make them at your age. It’s expected, and it’s part of the process of becoming a pro. My first bit of advice would be to put aside your fear of making mistakes and learn to embrace the lessons that you can learn instead.

When I was a young rider one of the early mistakes that I constantly made was overdoing things. If someone told me to increase my training I’d dial up my mileage and my time on the bike way too much. I could have been way better in my earlier years if I’d just followed the coaching advice that I’d been given. Sometimes you feel great on the bike in a training ride and those feelings encourage you to push, but listen to your coach because he or she has a plan that has been provided to you for a reason. It can always be adapted but that’s a conversation to have with your coach. I used to think that I knew more than my coach but it’s better if you as young riders find the right environment, one that you trust, and believe in the process.

Back when I started racing weight was of course a big talking point but no one really told us how to manage our diets. These days that’s all taken care of and riders have a lot of knowledge when it comes to all sorts of numbers but one thing I’d say is that while numbers are of course important, they don’t always translate into being a good bike rider.

Racing is about more than that, it’s about seeing progress but also keeping belief in your ability when it comes to racing. Developing as a rider is about becoming a better version of yourself and looking at numbers is just one aspect of that. You have to look at the entire package, so please don’t always fixate on the digits on the screen, and instead talk to those around you and get real feedback.

As I said at the start, now is the time to make your mistakes, and don’t be afraid when they happen because there isn’t a WorldTour champion out there who hasn’t and doesn’t make errors, and that’s why we have our debriefs after every race.

It’s super important to pay attention during these, and there’s nothing wrong with making notes to help you remember the key points. Be yourself during those moments and those meetings too. Share your thoughts, and your opinions, and talk with your sports director and teammates. You’re part of a team, and you’re stronger together.

I learned a lot from ex-riders like Roman Kreuziger and Nicki Sørensen, who took me under their wing when I first moved to Italy as a pro. As a young rider your experience is quite limited, so when you get the chance to have dinner with the older riders use that opportunity to ask them questions, pick their brains and share your worries, concerns or ideas. We’ll always listen, and always provide you with honest and friendly feedback. I’ll try and give my experience and learn from you too because as a rider we can always suffer from having blinkered vision.

The time will fly in your first year or two but don’t worry or rush. We all see riders like Tadej Pogačar coming up and it’s easy to think that this is the normal standard you should be aiming for and that anything else isn’t good enough. But I’ve seen riders quit the sport because they couldn’t handle that aspect of pro cycling but it’s really important to be realistic with your progression, and try and look at the long-term plan that you and the team have created. I think that our team does a really good job on this topic, especially when it comes to sports psychology. They’ve helped me through some tough periods, and it’s important to recognise that you’re going to have some bumps in the road.

When it comes to your first year of racing, try and suck in as much information as possible from everyone around you, not just the riders, but all the experienced support staff. They’ve been to these races before and you haven’t, so lean on that knowledge as much as you can. It’s a really short phase of time as a U23 rider but being humble will help you. Keep your feet on the ground and let your legs do the talking.

Having realistic goals is super important during this part of your racing career. Setting goals within a big goal can help you make small but manageable steps, while not feeling like the final objective is too far away. It could be as easy as setting a small goal in a training rider that you regularly do.

I still do this all the time and it can be as easy as trying to set a new time on a climb you do at home, or at camp I did a test and wanted to see if I was better than last year. Turns out I outperformed where I was twelve months ago and I’m still improving. Of course, that’s not like winning a race but it’s still a small win and great for confidence. Those little goals and those little wins will help keep you going.

Finally, no one knows how long their career will last so my last bit of advice is to appreciate how far you’ve come for someone so young. You are on an incredible team, and the opportunity that you have is amazing. At the same time, you’ve earned this, so don’t be too hard on yourself all the time. Savour all the moments you have, support your teammates in a way you’d want to be treated, and grow together. 2025 is gonna be your year!