Paris-Nice
Remco Evenepoel has beaten Primoz Roglic by half a minute in the team time trial of Paris-Nice. Afterwards he criticized a maneuver by ex-teammate Tim Declercq: “That I deliberately hindered him? He should know me better.”
The fickle weather in Auxerre played a leading role in the team time trial of Paris-Nice on Tuesday. The four musketeers of UAE Team Emirates did not do a happy dance in the hot seat when they noticed that all the teams of the toughest opponents suddenly found themselves in a wintry mood for the final victory. Remco Evenepoel’s Soudal Quick-Step had to complete the technical second part of the 27 kilometer long team time trial on its own. It cost ‘The Wolfpack’, which was 20 seconds faster than Team Emirates at the first intermediate point, the final victory of the day and the yellow leader’s jersey for Evenepoel.
Despite the storm from heaven, Evenepoel (at 18”) was able to limit the damage. Egan Bernal – who did get a dry surface – is 20” behind. The big losers were Primoz Roglic (54”) and David Gaudu (1’01”), who finished second in Nice last year. “If you see that we outclassed the entire pack in the first part… That means the team is very good,” Evenepoel said after a refreshing shower. “I absolutely wanted to win here, but nature decided otherwise. Still, I think I’m still in good shape. I am only a bit behind the men from Team Emirates.”
Bumblebee
Yet Evenepoel could not hide some frustrations. “There were still a few moments of bad luck,” the Belgian champion continued. “For example, Tim Declercq continued to drive in front of us in a technical corner, he did not move out of the way. Thank you to him. That was really nasty. It may be an ex-teammate, but you don’t do something like that. Did he do that on purpose? That’s possible, why not?”
Declercq, who now drives for Lidl-Trek, was not aware of any harm. “It was unintentional. I heard that Soudal Quick-Step was 500 meters behind me, but suddenly they were already in my wheel. Remco should know me as a person, that I would never do something like that on purpose. I’m sorry he’s insinuating that I did it on purpose. Anyway: he has already apologized personally and then it is good for me too.”
Evenepoel is already waiting for a new test on Wednesday. On Mont Brouilly, the final stage of a tough stage, a first uphill battle awaits between the favorites. “I expect Roglic and Bora-Hansgrohe to want to make up time. It will be very nervous and tough.” (hc)
