Remco Evenepoel returns to racing on the Tour of Britain on Tuesday, precisely a month after finishing his double gold-medal success on the Paris Olympics.
Evenepoel will begin stage 1 of the Tour of Britain in Kelso, Scotland, in a brand new rainbow jersey that features gold bands to acknowledge his Olympic success. He and Soudal-QuickStep apparently needed to struggle with the UCI for approval of the brand new and distinctive design.
Since successful the time trial after which the highway gold medals, Evenepoel has celebrated with household and mates, been feted as a nationwide hero in Brussels and step by step obtained again into coaching. He has achieved a lot already in 2024, however the World Championships in Zurich and Il Lombardia in October are remaining targets to goal for and encourage him in coaching.
Evenepoel confirmed that he won’t journey the European highway race and time championships, regardless of rivals resembling Josh Tarling and Filippo Ganna will even be absent. He’s centered on one final peak in Zurich.
“I might fairly win a World Championship title than end third twice at a European Championship,” he mentioned curtly.
Evenepoel peaked on the Olympics after an outstanding third place on his Tour de France debut. Nonetheless, the Tour of Britain shall be a primary stepping again to kind.
“Coaching has been okay, nothing too particular,” Evenepoel revealed in a video name with a number of media, together with Cyclingnews.
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I’ve simply performed endurance rides. After the ceremonies and all the things in Belgium, I used to be a bit sick, so it was fairly troublesome to seek out the form once more.
“I feel that is why it is good to be right here at the beginning of the Tour of Britain, to place some depth within the physique and to place a giant step ahead in the direction of the World Championships.
Evenepoel shall be a domestique deluxe for Julian Alaphilippe and 20-year-old teammate Paul Magnier, who was second on the Bretagne Basic-Ouest-France.
“I am right here with none actual expectation. I’ll take it daily, and if there’s a great consequence, all the higher. Julian is right here, Paul Magnier is right here. So it is a race with none stress for outcomes for me. I’ll be very completely satisfied to do some lead outs for each of them and to have an open-minded race. I feel that is the proper option to step again into the race state of affairs once more.”
Evenepoel most well-liked the Tour of Britain over final week’s Renewi Tour WorldTour race. He was greeted with rain and chilly situations on Monday, however the British climate is anticipated to enhance because the race heads south through the week.
Stage 3 is within the central Peak District and Yorkshire, with the race ending on Sunday after six levels in Felixstowe, on the Norfolk coast, two hours northeast of London.
“It is not too lengthy, six levels with not too many hours within the legs. I can step out with out an excessive amount of fatigue, so I can then decide up coaching fairly simply and fairly shortly once more,” Evenepoel defined.
“It was troublesome to do Renawi as a result of there was not a lot for me, aside from the TT on the final day. Right here there are extra possibilities for myself and for the group to go for some good outcomes. It’s the higher selection for the world championships.”
Beginning on the naked backside and ending excessive within the sky
Evenepoel’s Olympic success has added gold bands to his rainbow jersey and his Tour de France podium confirmed his unimaginable skills. The whirlwind of racing and feelings is over, however he has nonetheless to totally savour all of it. His two gold medals are safely ‘tucked away’, and he’s again racing.
“I’ll in all probability solely actually begin to realise what I’ve achieved when the season is over, when I’ll have two or three months, with none massive stress of the bike however I feel my Olympic success is one thing that shall be unbelievable for the remainder of my life,” he mentioned.
Evenepoel was personally struck by his return from his Itzulia Basque Nation crash in early April after which fixed enchancment till touching the sky’ together with his double Olympic success.
The preparation in the direction of the large successes began at a really low stage with the crash. It took me a while to discover a fine condition once more,” he mirrored.
“On the Dauphine in June, I used to be performing effectively on the TT bike, however I used to be nonetheless struggling on the climbs. I knew that there was nonetheless a lot form to realize in the direction of the Tour. It was a constructing course of when it comes to form and outcomes.
“I went from good within the Dauphiné, to tremendous good within the Tour, to nice within the time trial on the Olympics, then to an distinctive ending of a interval with the highway race.
“It was a build-up of constructive feelings; that is the proper abstract of the final months: beginning on the naked backside and ending excessive within the sky.”
