© AFP
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Remco Evenepoel believes that he could have become world cycling champion in Leuven last Sunday if he had been given the chance. He told that on Wednesday evening in Extra Time Koers.
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Maarten Delvaux
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Remco Evenepoel was probably the best Belgian at the World Cup in his own country last Sunday. But the 21-year-old cannonball from Schepdaal had to limit himself to a servant role in the service of leader Wout van Aert. This tactic was later criticized. “Why did they throw Remco into the fight so early? For me, Remco was the best man in the race after Julian. But they just sacrificed him and rolled out the red carpet for Julian,” said Patrick Lefevere, among others.
“I knew in advance what my job was: I just had to jump everywhere”, Evenepoel himself returned to that tactic one last time in Extra Time Koers on Wednesday evening. “We had two leaders with Wout (Van Aert, ed.) and Jasper (Stuyven, ed.) and I was a servant. On Friday afternoon we had a team meeting with everyone. But I felt that personally it was very unclear what was expected of me. So I actually had a questionable night from Friday to Saturday. Then on Saturday I went to national coach Sven Vanthourenhout and Serge Pauwels and I asked them: what do you really expect from me?Because it’s not clear to me. By the way, with the reconnaissance I had the feeling that there was a chance for me personally to drive away somewhere. That there was a certain scenario in which I could win the race. I told them that flatly and clearly asked: do i get the chance or not? There is then a clear new came up. Wout van Aert’s card was drawn and I turned the switch and did everything I could to enslave. I would also do that work at Deceuninck-Quick-Step if I were asked.”
When asked whether Evenepoel could become world champion himself on Sunday, he said yes. “I also told Sven afterwards that this was a missed opportunity for a world title,” said Evenepoel. In our cycling podcast ‘De Koers is van ons’, national coach Vanthourenhout had already said that he does not agree with this. “Together with Stuyven, Remco was ultimately the best Belgian in the race, but I don’t think he could become world champion himself. He was targeted and was never given enough space to make a big hole. Moreover, given the exhaustion in the final, he could not have stretched that effort to the finish. A medal might have been possible.”
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