In the second part of our interview with the talented riders of SEG Racing, CyclingQuotes.com met Danish rider Magnus Bak Klaris, a diverse and talented young man, who won both the Junior Paris-Roubaix and the GC in the Peace Race in 2014.

Magnus spoke to us about his wonder season last year at the SEG Racing pre-season camp in Greece. Last year he really announced himself to the cycling world as a big talent to be looked out for in the future and is the next Dane to be successful from a long list of riders, including the latest WorldTour talent, Michael Valgren.

“Last season went really good - better than expected. I have for a long time been working hard with the training and last year it started to really benefit me. I got some very big results and that has given me some really great opportunities this year at SEG Racing, where I hope I can continue my development in the coming years.”

When we asked him about his two big wins, he was quick to point out that while those are what he was known for, he won many other races in 2014, proving he has the mentality of w inner.

“I won some big races last year. Paris Roubaix is the race that I have gotten the most attention for, because almost everyone knows it, and because it was shown on TV. But every victory has its own history behind it, and I'm really glad for all of them. But especially Course de la Paix and Paris-Roubaix, has been important for me.”

Because he has achieved such diverse results in 2014, I asked him what type of rider he saw himself as, and the man himself didn’t seem sure, saying he hopes to find out the answer to that question within the next few seasons before he can hopefully go pro. However, he has some suspicions already, going on what his real strengths are.

“That's a thing I am going to find out the next few years. Right now I'm good on the whole line without having a speciality. I like hard long races. I'm good upwards, and I think that I will be a classic rider or a GC rider.”

Next, talk turned to his new employers, who are a new team for 2015 and have signed some of the best young talent in cycling, including Magnus, Junior World Champion Jonas Bokeloh and strong track rider Yoeri Havik. Bak Klaris spoke highly of the team and he couldn’t understate how big of an opportunity he saw this season as.

“I think that it is a great opportunity for me in the long term. I think this is the best team, if you want to be a professional. They have so many contacts in the WorldTour, and the only focus on the team is developing.  We all have the same goal: to be professional - I really like this structure.”

But despite all of his talent, he acknowledged that at 19 and in his first season at the U23 level, he will face some difficulties in 2015. But he is looking forward to rising to the challenge and proving himself.

“For me, next year will be a very challenging and tough year. I'll get used to longer distances and higher speed. My goal for next year is to develop myself as rider and learn as much as possible. I have not yet set some specific targets, but there already some races I'm looking at now, where I want to be in good shape.”

He isn’t yet fully aware of what his race programme is and will discuss it nearer the time with his managers, as the U23 season start a little later than the professional season does.

“My race program is not ready yet, so I can not tell about my specific goals until we are closer to the beginning of the season.” 

Magnus Bak Klaris seems destined for the top of the pro cycling world and his name is worth remembering for the next few years. To keep up to date with Magnus, Jonas and his teammates in the first season of SEG Racing’s existence, please follow @SEGracing on Twitter.