Interview
Remco Evenepoel won his last race as world champion and became joint record holder in the Clásica San Sebastián. His form is therefore in good shape towards his next two important appointments. Next Sunday he will defend his world title in Glasgow and shortly afterwards he will do the same in the Vuelta a España against Primož Roglič and Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard. In conversation with, among others Cycling Flash Evenepoel goes into this in more detail.
How do you look back on the year in the rainbow jersey?
“I am certainly satisfied with it. Winning the UAE Tour as world champion, that was a very nice one. In the Tour of Catalonia I rode a very good race. There was more to it, if I had driven a bit more tactically and smarter. But still two stage victories and second in the final standings. In the Giro d’Italia I won the first and the last stage – at least, of my Giro.
The Tour of Switzerland was also very good. I was only at 85-90% of my ability there and hadn’t really been able to train well for that. Still third in the final classification and won a stage. In addition, the victory at the BK as world champion was a very special one and I almost forget Liège-Bastogne-Liège. Then on Saturday the Clásica San Sebastián was added and I think you can speak of a super good year in the rainbow jersey. There have been drivers who have done much less in this jersey.”
Remco Evenepoel after his victory in Liège – photo: Cor Vos
You enter the World Cup on Sunday with three leaders. How does that work?
“We have a very strong team and several cards to play. Jasper Philipsen, Wout van Aert, myself and a few other guys. You never know if we have to adjust the plan due to a fall, breakdown or whatever. We have some strong guys who can go for the win. I do expect it to be a special World Cup. Let’s hope the rain stays away. Anyway, in Glasgow it often rains. We will see.”
Where do you consider yourself most likely: on the time trial or on the road?
“I think I have a chance in both parts. The time trial is long and not super technical. My aerodynamic position will come in handy there. On the other hand, Filippo Ganna will also be among the top favorites again, as always. The road race is technical, but also very long. In the local lap there are many corners and it goes up and down a lot.
But it will be a course that is close to seven hours. Due to the fatigue, attackers or a flight will benefit from this. It is a bit like the youngest BK on the road, but with altimeters. I think I can compete in any one-day race to win. So also on the road there is definitely an opportunity for me.”
Evenepoel is the defending champion at the World Cup – photo: Cor Vos
You copied your preparation for this part of the season from last year. That turned out to be successful, but now there is another race in between with that World Cup. Last year you said the most important thing was to arrive fresh in the third week of the Vuelta. What about now, especially with the World Cup before?
“The approach is the same. With three race days, including one time trial (San Sebastián, Road World Championships and World Time Trial Championships, ed.) in advance, I can’t completely kill myself either. I am already in better shape than at the same time last year, precisely because of the World Cup. In addition, as I see the Vuelta this year, there is a queen stage every week.
So I will have to stay fresh for the third week, but I must not lose three, four or five minutes in the first mountain stage. The upcoming Vuelta is all about choosing the right moments. That is necessary, because we had a typical grand tour of today: I expect a full race from the first stage to stage 21.”
But you specifically went to explore stages from the last week, right?
“It had to come out again, of course, unfortunately. I did indeed explore stages sixteen, seventeen and eighteen. The first stage has a very flat run-up the day after the rest day, with a typical climb at the end that we know from Asturias. Five to six kilometers against the whole time about thirteen percent.
The next day there is arrival on the Angliru. That is really a monster. But La Cruz de Linares a day later is certainly not easier. Not 20% like the Angliru, but about 15-16%. We also do that climb twice. All in all, it is super difficult in Asturias. Three spectacular days to start the last week with really great rides.”
Evenepoel was the man to look out for in the Vuelta last year – photo: Cor Vos
What was your reaction when you read or heard that Jonas Vingegaard is also coming to the Vuelta?
“I think everyone should be happy that the double winner of the Tour de France has another grand tour attached to it. It can only provide more spectacle in a Vuelta that is already going to be super difficult. For me personally it doesn’t change much either, but I’m looking forward to racing against him.
I also think that Jonas was not at his limit at all, if I still saw his face in the last mountain stages of the Tour. Maybe he will be two or three percent less than in the Tour de France. But with his qualities, at 97 percent, he is still ten percent better than many others in the suit.”
Vingegaard has already said that Jumbo-Visma should focus on you, while Patrick Lefevere called them the mastodons team. Are you afraid of that, or is that just what motivates you?
“Certainly don’t be alarmed. Then I’d better not start. But I do think that Jumbo-Visma is the team that can carry the course. Let them do it, I say. We will try to follow. They have two top favorites at the start. With Roglič the winner of the youngest Giro and with Vingegaard the winner of the Tour.
I also count myself among those two, although we have to write down the Tour winner as the absolute top favorite anyway. That makes more than sense. Jumbo-Visma also has a super strong team in the Vuelta. I like it. It is a valuable learning experience for me for next year. It’s not just a school, though. We also try to perform.”
And if you look at the level that Tadej Pogačar and Vingegaard showed in the Tour, how far is the best version of Remco Evenepoel from that level?
“That is a very difficult question. We will never know, maybe after next year’s Tour (in which Evenepoel will make his debut, ed.). But if I can believe all the calculations that have been made on the basis of the watts per kilo, then Tadej and Jonas have shown figures in the Tour that I have already achieved. Although they did, of course, day after day.
I think both of them have reached an incredibly high level this year, really impressive. Now it’s up to me to work hard in the coming year so that I can take big steps forward to get close to those two super good and crazy drivers. I hope to be able to compete with them in 2024.”
The only race that Evenepoel rode against Vingegaard-Roglic: the Tour of the Basque Country 2022 – photo: Cor Vos
2023-08-01 07:05:24
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