Green jersey is not John Degenkolb's Tour de France goal

Without Marcel Kittel in the Giant-Alpecin squad, fellow German John Degenkolb gets his chance to shine in the Tour de France.

It's been a standout year for Degenkolb so far, with a rare Classics double at Milan-San Remo and Paris-Roubaix, but will the sprinter look to add the Tour's green jersey to his trophy cabinet?

According to Degenkolb, he is only interested in winning stages at the Tour in July, with the green jersey not in his sights this year.

"First, we will focus on a stage victory," he told Sporza. "I suppose if the green comes into sight, then maybe we should try for it, but it is not the priority.

"The green jersey is a big dream of mine, but at present it is not on the agenda."

Degenkolb has proven his ability at the Grand Tours, winning nine stages of the Vuelta a España in two editions, as well as a stage in the Giro d'Italia, but has had to settle for three second-place finishes in the Tour.

He admits he's not a pure sprinter, though, but says he is confident that he can mix it with the best fast-men around if his team work together.

And while his Roubaix win will mark him out as the favourite for stage four over the cobbles, the German is keen to impress that he can do more than just win over pavé.

"With Tom Dumoulin we have someone in the team that is a favourite for the opening time trial, so there is no stress for me," he added.

"But it also does not mean that I'm not ambitious. I've never won in the Tour de France. I hope to change that at in my third attempt.

"I hear that as the winner of Paris-Roubaix I am in the favorites [for stage four], but I do not just want to focus on that. I am also looking at other stages and am very flexible."

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