The now three-time elected Belgian Sportsman of 2023 has given an interview to the newspaper Het Nieuwblad, where he revealed his goals for the next year, and now there are no more uncertainties. Remco Evenepoel is confirmed to participate in the Tour de France in 2024. Despite the challenging route, he is determined to contend for the overall classification and has chosen not to compete in the Giro d’Italia.
“The next season is focused on Liège-Bastogne-Liège (20.04), the Tour, and the Olympic Games in Paris, and shortly after the World Championship. My ambitions? I hope for a third victory in Liège; it’s a dream to leave Paris with two medals,” shared Evenepoel with the Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad.
“The focus will be on the Tour de France. It will be a journey of discovery. The gods of stage races will be at the start, with Vingegaard, Pogacar, and Roglic. Finishing among the top five is the ambition. It would be a dream come true if I performed better than just one of those three. And a stage victory is also possible, of course.
No altitude training for Liège-Bastogne-Liège
What I can say is that I won’t do any altitude training for Liège-Bastogne-Liège. It will be a season with few races.
“From May, in preparation for the Tour and the Olympics, I will alternate altitude training with competitions. Therefore, for Liège, I want to spend as much time as possible at my Spanish base, close to family. And most importantly, it will keep me mentally fresh. I want to start my preparation for the Tour with a clear and fresh mind,” revealed the Belgian.
No cobblestones in 2024
Evenepoel was asked about a possible debut in the Cobbled Classics, and he was definitive in responding that it won’t happen this year, but it will happen later in his career:
“That won’t happen this year. But there will come a time when I will focus a bit more on the Flemish Classics and skip the Ardennes, for example, when I’ll do the Giro. Then, of course, it’s up to Mathieu to stay away from the Flemish races,” he jokes.