Remco Evenepoel celebrated his Olympic Games success in Brussels on Monday however is now again in coaching for the UCI Road World Championships and Il Lombardi, his summer season of success motivating him for 2025 and past.
Evenepoel escaped to Greece for a brief vacation after profitable the Olympic street race however returned to Belgium for his fan journey on Saturday after which a celebration within the Brussels Grote Markt sq., with different Belgian medal winners.
Evenepoel was already a star of biking however his double gold medals have elevated his standing even larger.
Jude Bellingham preferred his celebratory arms-open pose on Instagram, which was seen by over 10 million individuals and even The Athletic has revealed a narrative on Evenepoel. Rivals Tadej Pogačar, Mathieu van der Poel and even Wout van Aert despatched him messages and praised him for his extremely profitable summer season of biking.
“Sometimes I really feel like they’ve already forgotten the Tour, however for me the entire summer season is unforgettable. I’ve been capable of tick off each aim I had,” Evenepoel informed Het Laatste Nieuws earlier than travelling to his residence in Spain to start his coaching block.
“It’s much more than I had in thoughts: with these two gold medals I’ve been capable of surpass myself. Really loopy. Then you realise that it’s all price it: all these hours of coaching, the rehabilitation after my fall, all that point away from household and pals…”
Evenepoel appears to get pleasure from coaching and peaking for a aim. He remains to be solely 24 years outdated however is aware of how one can do it nicely. The World Championships is his subsequent aim, as he seems to be to retain his world time trial title and win a second rainbow jersey after his success in Wollongong, Australia in 2022.
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Pogačar is prone to be his greatest rival for the rainbow jerseys in Zurich.
“Tadej is the most effective rider on the earth, he can be motivated in Zurich. I can go to the World Championship with little strain, I’ve these Olympic titles for 4 years,” Evenepoel stated, after additionally exhibiting off his new golden street race bike.
“But if I am going to a World Championship, it will likely be to goal excessive. I’ve an opportunity to win each titles: each programs go well with me and the Belgian group can be very robust. Nothing is bound however I’ll undoubtedly strive.”
Evenepoel’s remaining aim of 2024 can be Il Lombardia. He crashed out in 2020, fracturing his hip and sowing his profession improvement. He additionally crashed in 2023 and so desires to return to finish a chapter of his profession.
“I hope to do nicely there and never fall like final yr, in order that I can add that race to my listing of achievements. That’s the one race I’ve to win to complete a narrative and put an enormous level on the finish of that guide. That’s one thing that lives with me,” he defined.
Grand Tours the main target in 2025
Evenepoel can be considering forward to 2025 and the Tour de France. He has begun to review his build-up and efficiency from 2024 and needs to enhance.
“In the Tour I used to be capable of push till the final day. In Paris I used to be capable of rise above the ache. I do not assume I can enhance in one-day races or in a time trial. I’m at a hundred percent,” he stated. “The solely place to enhance is in Grand Tours, with particular preparation.
“My future can be targeted on the Giro and the Tour. I stated from the start of my profession that my dream was to win the three large Tours. Third place within the Tour confirmed me that it’s attainable. Also, as a result of my preparation was not a hundred percent after the crash at Itzulia Basque Country. During the rehabilitation I gained some weight by doing workout routines for my shoulder and I needed to lose that once more afterwards.”
Evenepoel believes shedding some muscle mass may help him within the mountains. He received the primary time trial within the Tour de France, beating Pogačar by 12 seconds and Jonas Vingegaard by 37 seconds however then misplaced 9 minutes within the mountains.
“You don’t win a Grand Tour in a time trial, you win on the cols, and particularly on the uphill finishes,” he identified.
“We have to seek out the steadiness the place I can nonetheless compete for a win within the time trial and on the identical time be 3, 4 or 5 % higher uphill. I believe that’s attainable with a weight of 62 kilogrammes.
“I pushed the identical watts in all of the mountain levels, at all times round 6.1, 6.2 or 6.3 watts per kilo. That’s distinctive and was wanted to compete with Tadej and Jonas. That provides me confidence. If I might get a bit higher… But I’m additionally preserving my ft on the bottom: Tadej remains to be at a distinct stage.”
Evenepoel is just not obsessed about simply the Tour de France and will even return to the Giro d’Italia within the years to come back, however to not do the double like Pogačar.
“The Giro and the Tour? Both are tough except you are Pogačar, however that is nonetheless an excessive amount of for me. We’re going to attend for the routes earlier than deciding, there is no strain,” he stated.
Soudal-QuickStep group supervisor Patrick Lefevere just lately advised that Evenepoel might journey Milan-San Remo and the Tour of Flanders however that may complicate plans for the Tour de France and the Ardennes Classics.
“I did not anticipate that to come back out. We all know Patrick. He might be an open guide generally,” Evenepoel stated, suggesting that he’ll observe his personal logic and determine his race programme, not his group supervisor.
“We have not likely talked about it but. If I need to do these races, I shouldn’t take into consideration the Ardennes Classics anymore and that may be an excessive amount of.
“The preparation for the Tour will at all times have precedence. If I might select, I want to win the Tour as soon as, as a result of it’s the greatest and essentially the most lovely, however earlier than I begin excited about the Tour of Flanders, I might moderately win the three main Tours first. For me it’s clear: if I actually need to go for the Tour, I must put the Classics apart for a bit.”