Before the start of the 15th stage of the Vuelta a España, Remco Evenepoel and his Soudal Quick-Step teammates displayed the Moroccan flag on the starting podium. The team did this to express their support for the victims of the major earthquake in Morocco.
The leader of the Vuelta’s Mountain Classification has a special connection with Morocco, as his wife Oumi is of Moroccan descent. “It was a very emotional day yesterday. The second part of my family is Moroccan. It’s a tough time for Oumi and her family,” Evenepoel told the Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws before the start of the stage.
“It was in an area close to her family. It’s causing some headaches and tough moments. This flag is a small thing we could do to show our support for everyone,” Evenepoel revealed.