Roderick Muscat's maxim is simple, yet very challenging.
"If you want to be the best, you have to do it with the best, otherwise it's just a waste of time and money," Muscat told me when I caught up with him recently.
A bronze medal winner in the time trial at the 2005 GSSE in Andorra, Muscat has long been regarded as an outstanding prospect but whereas most of his peers would have been happy with making their mark on the local scene, the young cyclist's ambitions transcend the Maltese sporting landscape.
His resolve to raise his standards and prove himself among professional riders led Muscat to move to Belgium for good in 2006.
"I was looking for a breakthrough in my career and that was the main reason why I left Malta a few years back," Muscat said.
"I opted for Belgium because several top European riders are based there. I wanted to be with them and to compete against them to improve my level. When you're racing against the best, you've got a better chance of getting spotted by a big team."
Muscat, who represented Malta at the 2003 World Championships in Canada and finished 58th at the 2004 World Road Race Junior Championship in Verona, has yet to sign for a team on a professional basis but this has not impeded him from practising the sport full-time.
"I'm a full-time cyclist even though I'm not yet a full-time professional," he explained.
"When you're striving to reach the top, you can't afford to have another job. I'm concentrating solely on my cycling as my philosophy is that you have to be professional before you actually become a recognised professional."
His daily routine entails waking up at 6.30 a.m. for an early breakfast and by 9 a.m. Muscat is out on his bike. Training time depends on the race schedule but he normally does between six to seven hours of practice every day.
"After that, it's mostly rest," he said.
Muscat, 23, is confident that, sooner rather than later, he will join a Pro-Tour team.
"My aim is to sign a professional contract with a Pro-Tour team," he reflected.
"I am confident of reaching my target this year. I'm willing to go higher and become one of the top cyclists but it takes time and a lot of effort. You just have to be patient and work hard."
At present, Muscat is racing for an American team that is based in Belgium where, in his words, "there is the crème de la crème of cycling". Apart from races in Belgium, Muscat also competes in events in Italy, France and Switzerland.
By his own admission, the prevailing mentality in Maltese sport is out of tune with his vision for success in sport.
"In Malta, you must really love the sport to be putting so many hours into it because there is nothing to gain," Muscat said.
"If I want to do something properly, I want to earn something from it. My challenge is to make a living out of cycling. In Malta this cannot be achieved, so to go higher and reach your aims, you need to go on the continent."
Asked if he was still keen to represent Malta in international events, Muscat didn't mince his words.
"The Olympics and the World Championships are really the two events that interest me," he said.
Italian legend Gianni Bugno is Muscat's all-time favourite.
"I come from a cycling family but when I was a little lad, Gianni Bugno was my inspiration," he reminisced.
In 2004, Muscat won the Cup of Belgium, a UCI race for juniors. Last year, he went through a barren spell but this season, he has already won a string of races.
"Things are really looking up for me," Muscat remarked.
"I'm getting good placings in races involving professional riders. I have high aspirations but to achieve my goals, I must keep working hard."