Remco Evenepoel had a disastrous initial encounter with the Pyrenees. However, on the following day, he joined the early breakaway during a challenging mountain stage and triumphed by winning the stage and securing the leader’s jersey in the mountain classification.
Johan Bruyneel praised how Evenepoel rebounded after the setback. “Him joining the breakaway on Saturday was a perfect idea,” he said on The Move podcast. “That stage had a course with many tough climbs, where he could drop the rest.”
However, Bruyneel couldn’t understand why Evenepoel joined the breakaway again on Sunday. “That was absolutely not a good idea. It was a less challenging stage, and after Saturday’s race, he was very tired. Evenepoel is not a robot or Superman. Riding at the highest level doesn’t work that way, even if your name is Remco Evenepoel. It’s not a one-day race.”
Bruyneel placed the responsibility on Evenepoel’s team, not on Remco himself. He pointed to the team’s sports directors, Klaas Lodewyck and Iljo Keisse, as responsible for how Evenepoel was managed. “They didn’t gain experience in their cycling careers on how to approach a Grand Tour.”
“That’s why they don’t feel what Remco feels. The team management should be able to control such a talented rider. I have the feeling that Soudal Quick-Step doesn’t do that. Does Remco make all these decisions on his own? I think Remco himself is the team manager.”
“Soudal Quick-Step should recruit people who can advise him better,” Bruyneel concludes.