Alex Dowsett will play a key role on newly acquired sprinter Giacomo Nizzolo's Israel Startup Nation leadout train in 2022.

Dowsett told Cycling News that he is ready to ditch his bike next winter, but wants to keep racing.

"It's a contract year, so it's a little more stressful than usual. But I don't want it to have a bad effect on my racing," Dowsett told Cycling News at the Israel Startup Nation's post-season camp in Israel earlier this month.

"It could be over by the end of next year, because of the way the market is going and because young riders are fashionable right now. I'll be 34 and that's fine. But cycling is always changing and evolving, so you just have to go with it.

"I think the tide is turning and teams are realizing that it's not just about watts per kilometer or functional threshold power, but experience is also a big deal.

Dowsett, a six-time national time trial champion and two-time stage winner at the Giro d'Italia, turned pro with Team Sky in 2011, riding for Movistar and Katusha and gaining years of experience at the World Tour level while He has used his time skills in a variety of roles.

In early November, he attempted to break Victor Campenato's hour record, clocking 54.555 km in Aguascalientes, the third fastest in modern hour record history.

He will focus on leading Nizzolo next season, teaming up again with Rick Zabel and Matthias Brendel, who teamed up with Andre Greipel, who retired in 2021. Dowsett said he feels "better" supporting sprinters in the future.

When asked about his goals for 2022, he simply replied, "Lead out."

"We have a consistently solid lead-out train and we know Giacomo can win races. We know that Giacomo can win races."

"In fact, there aren't too many racers left in the peloton: FDJ has a good train and Quick Step has a good train.

"I really enjoy lead-out trains. I am often labeled a time triallist, but I love time trials. Time trials are an aspect of cycling that I really enjoy. I want to enjoy time trials and with the factor I got a new bike.

"We are always developing that aspect and I like the process of trying to make myself and many of my teammates faster. I am very involved with the other riders and their time trials. Last year in Girona, I fitted 12 time trial bikes.

Dowsett heads into 2021 and 2022 after a season that was, in his own words, "not good." He had a good spring, but peaked too early in the Giro d'Italia.

Next season, he, Nizzolo, and his leading companions will begin anew, getting to know each other and working together in anticipation of the sprinter's big goals.

Doucette spoke about his role in the lead-out's success, noting that he is keeping an eye on neo-pro athlete Corbin Strong for a possible role in the train, but said that gaining each other's trust in the hectic environment of a sprint finish will be key.

"The first few races will be crucial. I think to win a race you have to be prepared to lose a race to gain trust," he explained.

"Giacomo has to trust Rick's wheel and trust that what might look like it won't work with two kilometers to go, won't go wrong with 500 meters to go. You have to trust Rick, myself, and Matthias and just follow the wheel and intuit that you will be guided to some degree.

"You have to lead from behind. When Matthias is at his absolute limit, he will not be able to make the right decision to go left or right, so I have to be able to make that decision for him and Rick has to be able to make the same decision for me. [That's why the sprint races early in the season are so important.

The start of next season and the early experimental races are still a long way off, and the end of the season is still a long way off.

Whether Dowsett will still be a professional rider this time next year remains to be seen, but he has not yet thought about his post-race career. Nevertheless, he has a few ideas floating around in his head.

"I thought I had a plan for the future, but somehow I don't. I wish I did. I wish I knew exactly what I wanted to do."

"Sometimes I wake up and want to do something that has nothing to do with cycling.

"But I actually really enjoy helping other riders go faster. I want to do something with young people. I ride with the Hagens Berman Axiom team, with young riders under the age of 23. It might be a nightmare, but just from the outside looking in, the grass looks greener.

"I think the obvious thing is for people to become director sportifs or commentators. I don't think people understand road racing as much as they think they do. There are so many good commentators in the commentary world, the market is saturated. I did a little bit of that a long time ago.

"So to answer your question, I have no idea. It's pretty scary, but I think I have a good enough reputation in the cycling world to be able to help someone. Otherwise, just setting up something on my own and helping time triallists go a little bit faster is an area I think I could do."