Eurosport's Future Stars for 2016: Rafal Majka

Nominated by Eurosport cycling reporter Vincent Renault, who said: “Over the past two years, 26-year-old Polish rider Rafal Majka has become one of the strongest competitors in the peloton and one of the top climbers in world cycling.

“A nice, shy boy, but also a leader and excellent team-mate at the same time, Majka has become a fan favourite in Poland and across Europe as he doesn’t take himself too seriously and always makes himself available to fans and the media. The winner of three Tour de France stages so far – two in 2014 and one in 2015 – he also won the coveted Polka Dot Jersey awarded to the King of the Mountains in 2014.

“As both a breakaway specialist and a born attacker, Majka hit new levels in 2015. He seems to have matured and has developed the considerable patience needed to obtain his first podium finish on a Grand Tour, taking third place in the Vuelta a España.

“In 2016, Majka can become the first Pole in history to win a Grand Tour, having set the particularly steep climbs of this edition of the Giro d’Italia as his main objective. His qualities as a punchy climber can also allow him to achieve great things at the short, hard climbs of the Ardennes Classics. It really could be the year that his enormous talent is confirmed.”