Thwaites aiming for first professional victory in 2015

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Scott Thwaites (Bora-Argon 18) has been with his current team through many of its previous guises. The young Yorkshireman joined the Continental Endura Racing team in 2010, and followed when they merged with NetApp three years ago, turning professional in the process. Thwaites came agonisingly close to his first win last season and, with a new sponsor to support him, he's ready to rectify that.

"The Tour de Yorkshire is a great legacy event. I've had a look at the route and it goes about 200 metres away from my house near the finish of the final stage. I'm sure it will be a great event and it's got a few climbs in so it should be some really great racing," he said. "I'd obviously love to ride it. If it doesn't fall into our calendar then it would be a shame but I'll just take whichever race comes up and give it my best shot."

Thwaites was on the long-list for NetApp-Endura's debut Tour de France but he didn't make the final cut as the team put their efforts behind Leopold König, who had finished ninth in the previous Vuelta a España. Missing the Tour was an obvious disappointment for Thwaites but he accepted that it wasn't the right time. "I would have loved to ride it but it was just a bit too early for me," he said.

"I wasn't in the right condition, so I hadn't developed enough to ride it, which is a bit of a shame because it started in my home town. I think I was a bit too tired to make it and if I was to ride the Tour then I'd want to be in the best condition possible so I can do something for the team."

However, the Yorkshireman believes he will be ready if the opportunity comes around this time. "I'm a year stronger and a year older, so I've learnt a bit more. This year my provisional programme is really good in the lead up to it and now that I'm a year wiser in terms of what I need to do to be there. I'll give it my best shot but I think that all depends on the focus that the team has at the Tour."