Paris-Nice
Together with the Dutchman Olav Kooij, Remco Evenepoel was the winner of the day in the opening stage of Paris-Nice. He grabbed four bonus seconds.
Paris-Nice often turns into an exciting game of seconds at the end. Even though Remco Evenepoel is a debutant, he was on his toes in the bonus sprint of Montainville, which was after a short slope. Primoz Roglic was nowhere to be seen when the Belgian champion chased Matteo Jorgenson and took four bonus seconds. “That was actually goal number one. Those seconds were taken,” said Evenepoel, as he finished his cool down.
The leader of Soudal Quick-Step thus implemented the plan that the team had drawn up. Paris-Nice is an eight-round boxing match in which an unexpected blow can be thrown every day. “We asked the boys to set the pace as high as possible so that Remco could grab those seconds,” sports director Klaas Lodewyck explained. “Whether he came first, second or third made little difference. With a view to the team time trial on Tuesday, it gives us a good starting position.”
Warrior that he is, Evenepoel actually wanted the day’s victory in Les Mureaux. On the last slope of the day he countered a lunge by the alert Egan Bernal, but no one wanted to continue with the Belgian champion. Not even Roglic, who fit neatly into Evenepoel’s wheel. “I understood it from Jorgenson,” Evenepoel said. “He had a sprinter with him, and Kooij eventually wins. So it was his right. And Roglic? I have no idea whether he didn’t want to or couldn’t.” (hc)
RESULT: LES MUREAUX – LES MUREAUX: 1. Olav Kooij (Ned/Team Visma – Lease a bike) 157.7 km in 3U36’28” (avg.: 43.711 km/h); 2. Mads Pedersen (Den); 3. Laurence Pithie (N-Zl); 4. Nils Eekhoff (Ned); 5. Madis Mihkels (Est)
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