Carter Jones (Optum Pro Cycling) is one of the riders that we have to follow next season. The American rider has signed a two-year contract with the Giant Alpecin team. With his qualities, he will certainly be of great help to Warren Barguil and to Tom Dumoulin. The winner of the Tour of the Gila gave an interview to CyclingQuotes and came back on many subjects.

Before talking about his season and his future in the professional peloton, he told about what he is doing during the winter. "Vacation has been great. It is funny, at the end of the season I was bummed it was over since I was still riding well and feeling motivated. But then I realized I needed to cherish the early end (Bucks County, but really USA Pro Cycling Challenge) since this is hopefully the last year my season will end in August for a long time."

"I took three weeks off the bike, another next week actually since I started riding so early. Went to media camp in the Netherlands, prepped for moving to Europe full time next year, and spent plenty of time hiking/running in the Rockies."

Little known in Europe, he describes himself: "As a rider I am a climber/GC hopeful. I would say my best quality is my willingness to learn and dedication."

Jacob Erker, the general manager of the Optum Pro Cycling said that Carter Jones continues to prove himself as a world class climber and that he is one of the best climbers in North America. "Thats quite flattering. For me it is hard to take a step back and asses my ability. But when I hear that someone has that confidence in me it gives me a lot of motivation. I have not been riding at this level for very long, so stepping into the role and filling those shoes perse was a big step forward for me this year."

This season, he won the Tour of the Gila. He finished in seventh place overall at the Tour of Utah, eighth overall place at the USA Pro Challenge and 11th overall place at the Amgen Tour of California. "It was definitely my best season ever, but my goal is always to improve on the last year. So for me every year should be better than the last. I think as I progress I will need to reassess how I evaluate improvement, or look for smaller gains. Thankfully I have been able to make a steady obvious progression every year so far."

"I would say Gila was my best performance and moment of the season. It truly was a team effort, we rode the perfect race on the last stage. Also, mentally there is a lot more pressure at Gila than the US UCI races. At Gila I expected myself to contend for the win, and as a team we could shape the race. Whereas the the big US races I was more along for the ride doing the best I could. That said, by the USA Pro Cycling Challenge I made a point of trying to have an impact on the race and being aggressive, rather than just sitting in."

In 2015, we will see him with the Giant Alpecin jersey. "For me, I truly believe Giant-Alpecin is the best fit. I met Aike Visbeek one of the directors at aToC and believed that the team was actually was invested in seeing me develop as a rider, and giving me the opportunities to do so. It is a program where I do not see myself getting lost in the system, which is something I was scared of."

"I know both Lawson Craddock and Chad Haga, I will be living with Chad in Girona next year. Met the entire team at an October camp and I am really looking forward to joining the program."

He did not take part many European races. But, he don’t look like to be apprehensive. "I am very excited to be racing the races that I have watched on TV all of these years. I spent a fair amount of time racing in Europe with the US National U23 and Junior Teams, as well as Trek-Livestrong, and we took a trip with Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies this past year. It is going to be an eye opening experience for sure, but is definitely something I am excited about."

About his 2015 goals, he wishes to learn a lot and maybe, to do a three-week race. "I am hoping to have a pretty heavy racing schedule. I am entering the World Tour a bit late, so I have some catching up to do. I would really like to do a Grand Tour this year, and in order to be selected for one I will need to prove that I am capable of riding at that level. It is hard to set goals in races I have not done before, but in World Tour events I hope to be a key support rider for Warren Barguil and Tom Dumoulin."

And what races does he dream of winning ? "It is hard to win as a climber! Everyone dreams of winning a stage at the Tour, and I love watching the Ardennes classics, although I am not sure if they suit my riding characteristics. I think this is a goal that I will be able to figure out as the year progresses and I gain experience."