One of the American’s on the Giant-Alpecin team for 2015, Chad Haga, is looking build on a great neo-pro year, where he finished his debut grand Tour and took several top ten results.

“I would be OK with another Grand Tour as well,” Haga told Cyclingnews before heading to Berlin for the team's presentation on Wednesday. “We'll see how it works out, but I'm excited to get another three-week race under my belt, wherever that might be.”

He finished the Vuelta a Espana, helping John Degenkolb to four stage wins and the points jersey. He was fourth in the TT at the Vuelta a Burgos and had numerous other top ten finishes. Not bad for a neo-pro, but he wants to keep developing in 2015.

“I had a few top-tens and even a top five in time trials last year, so hopefully I can turn those into podiums and a win here or there this year – climb a little higher up,” he said. “The ever-present battle for me is positioning, particularly on field sprint stages. One race at a time, keep focusing on it and keep improving.”

26 year old Haga is becoming a key part of the Giant-Alpecin lead out train too, where he says he feels confident in reduced bunch finishes, but is still to get the hang of big bunch gallops.

“I can handle the small groups when I just need to mow down a few guys. But when it's five full squads fighting for control, that's my weak point at the moment. I need to be a little more aggressive and assertive.”

He will finally debut with Marcel Kittel at the Tour Down Under later this month, where he wants to help the big German take the first win of his season. For Haga, this is new as he hasn’t ever started his season in January before.

“I would normally be freaked out about starting this early,” he said. “But with the success I had last year working with the trainer and the coaches, I trust that they'll give me the needed rest at the appropriate time so I can actually make it through the whole year.”

As an American, another goal he has is to make the team for his home World Championships, in Richmond, Virginia.

“I'd love to do that,” he said. “Hopefully I can get some results to get on [USA Cycling's] radar. They still don't really know who I am, having not come up through their system.”