Remco Evenepoel faces a crucial year in his cycling journey. In addition to the Paris Olympic Games, the Belgian will make his debut in the Tour de France in 2024. During the media day of the Soudal Quick-Step team, Evenepoel revealed his expectations for the Tour de France in an interview with the Dutch website WielerFlits.
Ambitions for the Tour de France
Belgium, a country passionate about two-wheeled sports, eagerly awaits the debut of its prodigious young talent in the Tour de France. However, for those hoping for an answer like ‘victory in the General Classification’ or ‘Le Maillot Jaune,’ there may have been a sense of disappointment with the responses, which were in a mild tone.
“Oh, I don’t know. I just want to get through the Tour without what happened in the Giro d’Italia,” Evenepoel refers to the corona infection and withdrawal when he still held the Maglia Rosa.
“I’ll take it day by day.”
“The answer to the question of whether I can win a Grand Tour is yes. In the last Giro, I was there for a short time – without illness. But the Tour is a different story,” Evenepoel is cautious. “I’ll take it day by day. Going home with a stage win would be great,” reveals the great Belgian hope for the Tour de France.
Tough opponents in France
In the Tour, he will have to compete against other giants of current cycling, Jonas Vingegaard, Tadej Pogacar, and Primoz Roglic. “I’ve raced a lot against Roglic. In the Volta a Catalunya, we were at the same level. I’ve beaten him several times in the Vuelta, and he has beaten me too. So, I know Roglic well.”
“I haven’t raced much against Jonas and Tadej in the Grand Tours yet. This is something new, but of course, I can’t answer at the moment. We’ll see in the Tour.”
Media Day for Soudal Quick-Step