July is asking and Remco Evenepoel is able to reply. The Soudal-Quickstep rider will make his Tour de France debut simply forward of his second look within the Olympic Video games, a double aim into which he’s pouring all of his power.
Chatting with the media on the staff’s presentation in Calpe, Spain, Evenepoel’s assured method and adroit solutions to reporters’ questions belied his age. At simply 23 he is one of many high riders on this planet – twice a world champion, winner of a Grand Tour and a Monument – however he is as keen as a neo-pro to make his Tour de France debut.
“The Tour de France and the Olympic Video games in the identical month are two of probably the most well-known sports activities competitions in the entire world. [July] will likely be a really thrilling month particular month,” Evenepoel mentioned. “All the pieces is concentrated on that month … the place I’ve to carry out on the highest degree that I’ve ever achieved.”
Betting every little thing on a single month could possibly be worrying for many athletes however for Evenepoel, having the Tour de France on his calendar offers a way of objective and aid.
“It is simply one thing that is thrilling – lastly it is there, it is coming,” Evenepoel mentioned. “I additionally really feel it in my coaching. I am tremendous motivated to do each coaching to the element – not 10 minutes much less or 10 minutes extra – simply every little thing to the element; good the food plan, every little thing, as a result of I am so excited to start out the Tour.
“It is a new form of power that I have not felt for fairly a very long time. It is solely going to be an excellent factor figuring out that I will be racing the Tour this 12 months.”
Final 12 months’s Grand Excursions did not go to plan for the Belgian. He was main the Giro d’Italia and received the stage 9 time trial earlier than testing optimistic for COVID-19 and leaving on the primary relaxation day. Then, in his Vuelta a España total title defence, he had spent the weeks earlier than constructing for the unified World Championships, the place he received the time trial, and was missing preparation for a Grand Tour however nonetheless got here away with three stage wins.
“I really feel a bit completely different in my head now than I used to be over the past summer season,” he mentioned. “After the COVID an infection within the Giro, issues acquired fairly mad in each facet. So it was a bit all the time up and down and discovering the rhythm again, which wasn’t straightforward.”
Now that the rumours of a doable staff switch, then a now-scuttled merger of the staff with the Jumbo-Visma squad, have ended with a steady future with Soudal-Quickstep, Evenepoel is extra relaxed.
“It actually modified, additionally coaching has gone fairly clean. I can’t be pressured if I can not practice a day or if I’ve to skip a day, which wasn’t the case over the previous few years. So all these issues will most likely assist me within the races, and it’ll avoid wasting power for hectic moments in competitors.”
For July, Evenepoel is retaining his public expectations life like – hoping for a stage win on the Tour de France at a minimal and two podiums on the Olympics – even when his non-public ambitions are greater.
“It will be an thrilling month, an thrilling new journey for me. And I simply hope that I can arrive in good situation and with lots of power to have a giant month of racing.”
The deal with the Tour might imply followers will see fewer of Evenepoel’s signature long-range assaults, however he guarantees that he may have some freedom to race his “loopy concepts”.
“I believe for instance, in a Paris-Good and a Basque Nation race, I can nonetheless race how I like, and having a little bit of loopy concepts. However then for certain like Tour de Suisse, Dauphiné, Tour de France. Grand Excursions are a very completely different story.”
When requested if he could make the rostrum within the Tour de France, he hesitated and certified his reply. “It is doable, most likely, however after all, every little thing has to go properly. It is troublesome to say what consequence I’ll get within the GC. My fundamental aim will likely be to exit with a stage win, no less than one hopefully, after which we’ll see concerning the GC.
Stability
Final season wasn’t solely about racing for Evenepoel as a lot of the season featured media polemics. If it wasn’t swirling rumours that he would break his contract with QuickStep, spurred on partially by his father who acts as his agent and who was uncertain that the staff might assist a Tour de France bid, it was spurious accusations that he was faking his COVID optimistic on the Giro. Then, in the course of the Vuelta, the information of a possible takeover by Visma grabbed the headlines.
Evenepoel admitted that final 12 months, he paid an excessive amount of consideration to what the press was writing about him, “which most likely made me lose a little bit of self-confidence over the past season as properly,” he mentioned.
“It is really a bit loopy that each one these tales have been huge headlines as a result of from the surface it [looked so] a lot larger than it really was. So it was a bit shocking for me to see so many particulars which weren’t even the reality. So it has been unusual and a bit harsh as properly.”
An prolonged break after the Chrono des Nations in October helped, he added.
“I believe it is helped me to vary a bit in my head and in my strategy to every little thing, really,” he mentioned, including a touch that the uncertainty round Soudal-QuickStep’s future could also be resolved.
In November, supervisor Patrick Lefevere mentioned the merger with Visma wouldn’t be revisited for subsequent 12 months, and that he was on the whim of majority proprietor Zdenek Bakala, who might resolve to promote the staff.
“It is troublesome to really feel a change in only a few weeks,” Evenepoel mentioned after being requested concerning the power inside the staff. “For certain, over the months, over the weeks, over time, we are going to really feel this new power an increasing number of. It is one thing good for us one thing good for the staff. And it is simply good that this staff stays alive as a result of it is a legendary staff in biking, and it is one thing that the biking world can not stay with out.”
When requested for clarification, his fast, decisive responses waivered. “We’re discovering out lots of particulars like [how] each different staff is doing,” he mentioned earlier than pivoting to the staff’s expectations. “We’ve got to return again to the extent of another groups. However for certain, we’re doing an incredible job on that.
“We’re on the lookout for a better degree on private facets on the staff facet, employees facet, simply every little thing. If you wish to be up there preventing towards the UAEs, Jumbos [Visma-Lease a Bike – ed.], or the Ineos staff for GCs in Grand Excursions or in one-week races, we’d like all people to carry out at the perfect degree from day one until the ultimate day within the season. And even within the winter. All people has to go for it. And also you already really feel it – all people’s excited to get into the brand new season.”
His meteoric rise from the juniors to the highest of the game has taken simply 5 seasons and when requested if he might admire how distinctive his years have been, he mentioned, “It is going loopy quick, however I admire it … I’ve to understand it as a result of there are different guys that must work for a lot of extra years and can’t even win a race. I believe I’ve to thank nature for these abilities, and that is why I’ve to understand it.”