Remco Evenepoel conceded the general lead on the Critérium du Dauphiné after struggling on the ultimate climb to Le Collet d’Allevard on stage 6, however he insisted that his efficiency was no trigger for panic with over three weeks left till the Tour de France.
The Belgian was distanced below strain from Bora-Hansgrohe on the higher reaches of the hors categorie climb, the place Primož Roglič powered to stage victory. Evenepoel rallied barely within the closing kilometre, however he nonetheless needed to accept eighth on the stage, some 42 seconds down on the Slovenian. He dropped to second total, 19 seconds behind Roglič.
“In the valley in direction of the ultimate climb, I actually felt the legs have been getting heavy, so I knew it was going to be tough for me to comply with the very best for certain,” Evenepoel told CyclingPro afterwards. “Then after 4 or 5km on the climb, I mentioned within the radio that I used to be not feeling recent anymore.”
Evenepoel was unable to comply with when Roglič bridged throughout to a transfer that already featured Bora-Hansgrohe lieutenant Aleksandr Vlasov. The Soudal-QuickStep rider was joined by his teammate Mikel Landa as he fought to restrict his losses, earlier than he launched an acceleration of his personal within the closing kilometre.
“I wanted to seek for my very own rhythm,” Evenepoel mentioned. “I mentioned to Mikel that he may go for his personal probability however then he got here again fairly rapidly so he tried to information me in direction of the final kilometre after which I simply went an excellent 2, 2.5km all-out to restrict the time loss. But I believe that is what we may have anticipated – that I’m simply not at my greatest but, that I nonetheless want a number of time to enhance.”
The Dauphiné marked Evenepoel’s return to competitors after he fractured his shoulder within the mass crash at Itzulia Basque Country that additionally noticed concerned Roglič and Tour de France champion Jonas Vingegaard.
Evenepoel started the Dauphiné adamant that his focus was squarely on constructing kind for his Tour de France debut in July, however his emphatic victory within the time trial to Neulise on Wednesday put him into the yellow jersey with a lead of half a minute over Roglič.
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The 24-year-old endured a scare on Thursday, when he was among the many many fallers within the mass crash that triggered the neutralisation of stage 5 to Saint-Priest. Although he fell on his head and shoulder, Evenepoel downplayed the influence of that crash on his efficiency right here.
“It’s only a small damage, a small bruise, however nothing loopy. I’m not going guilty the shoulder for the time lack of right this moment,” Evenepoel smiled. “I believe that’s life, that’s a part of my means again to my prime degree, which is clearly not there but. We nonetheless have a number of time and no causes to panic.”
Instead, Evenepoel struck an upbeat be aware, insisting that his kind stays in crescendo as he builds in direction of the Grand Départ in Florence on June 29.
“We’re on a great way for certain as a result of two weeks in the past in Sierra Nevada, I couldn’t push the numbers we did right this moment even for ten minutes,” Evenepoel mentioned. “In the tip, for me it’s a optimistic day, despite the fact that I misplaced a while. That’s not a very powerful factor we now have to take from right this moment.”
Evenepoel expanded on that thought when he spoke with Het Nieuwsblad after the stage.
“Am I shocked? No, by no means,” he mentioned of his time loss. “I knew this and have been saying this for an entire week, however apparently it is not getting via: I’m not right here to win the Dauphiné, however to enhance.
“It has now grow to be clear that I’m not but adequate to comply with the very best. I’m right here to check my limits. That’s working, however there’s clearly nonetheless work to be carried out. I actually struggled within the final kilometre, however that is why I’m right here: to lift my degree and get essentially the most out of it with out being utterly exhausted.”
Despite the setback, Evenepoel stays in competition for total victory on the Dauphiné, even when Roglič’s show on Friday signifies he’s the favorite on the remaining two summit finishes at Samoëns 1600 and the Plateau des Glières.
“It will probably be very tough to beat Primož,” Evenepoel mentioned. “But we’ll simply struggle and see the place the ship finally ends up on Sunday. You have to remain calm.”