‘Reaching the end in Como would already be successful’ – Remco Evenepoel performs down Il Lombardia choices

The curtain is on the purpose of falling on a really outstanding season for Remco Evenepoel, with a stage triumph and podium end in his first Tour de France, two Olympic gold medals and a repeat of his World Championships Time Trial title as the very best of many highlights.

However relating to Il Lombardia and the Soudal-QuickStep chief’s remaining race of his landmark, however rollercoaster, 2024? As weariness from a 12 months which has additionally included a troublesome crash and accidents this April, no one is de facto positive, to the purpose the place, as Evenepoel informed reporters on Friday afternoon, even getting by means of to the end of Il Lombardia at Como would in some methods represent successful.

Not solely is Evenepoel’s kind unpredictable however what sort of result’s achievable is much more unsure given he’s dealing with – like each different contender bar one in Il Lombardia – a standout favorite of the calibre of three-times former winner Tadej Pogačar (UAE Group Emirates).

On the plus aspect, Evenepoel says he has no sense of foreboding concerning the second when he and the peloton will cross the Colma di Sormano, the scene of his horrible accident again in 2020, this Saturday. It seemingly helps that this 12 months’s race is heading in the other way to 4 years,  uphill moderately than downhill. Arguably much more importantly, although, the Belgian defined after going to see the location of his crash again in 2021, he has already labored by means of any ghosts of the previous.

A way more current high-profile race accident with a significantly extra tragic end result, that of Muriel Furrer within the World Championships junior girls’s highway race two weeks in the past, was additionally the topic of an open query relating to rider security in Evenepoel’s press convention.

Evenepoel quietly identified in his reply that “it is less than me to say issues like – now we have to alter this or that. ” However he additionally put his finger on one key subject of the harrowing occasions of September 26 in Zurich – that ‘the principle drawback was no one knew concerning the crash.”

And even when he didn’t wish to take a selected stance, the Belgian nonetheless argued cogently and powerfully that this absence of data being supplied shortly may effectively strengthen the case for in-race radios for riders, in not less than some occasions.

“In fact, what occurred in Zurich was a racing accident and the one factor I might say is that if there have been riders with radio communication, you possibly can talk it [the accident] to the automotive and the automotive may talk with the jury [race commissaires],” he started by saying. “Then not less than the ambulance may have come manner faster.

“In order that’s perhaps a purpose why radio communication ought to be allowed in worldwide championships – the Worlds, Europeans, Olympics… As a result of I believe on this case that was the principle drawback in Zurich, that no one knew concerning the crash.

 “There have been riders round. However in fact, should you see anyone crash, you’d all the time assume ‘okay, the individual is simply going to face up and proceed the race’.

“Like I stated, if there have been no [TV] photographs and no one noticed it from the automobiles and the riders couldn’t say something, then I believe that [absence of information] was the most important drawback on this case.

“However in fact, it is less than me to say issues like – now we have to alter this or that. I believe now we have already stated quite a bit additionally final 12 months with Gino [Mäder, who died in a crash in the 2023 Tour de Suisse – Ed.] with a downhill end, with no safety on the aspect of the highway to cease him going right into a ravine.

“I believe what I simply talked about now could be the second large factor. That not less than whenever you see it taking place, you may talk it to the automotive they usually can talk it to the jury and actions might be taken.”

Return to the Colma di Sormano

To say that Evenepoel is aware of of the fortune he had personally in such circumstances was true about his personal main crash in Il Lombardia 2020. TV photographs confirmed him spinning over a low-lying stone wall on a bridge on the descent of the Colma di Sormano, and after he was discovered inside a query of minutes, the rescue providers may start their work to save lots of him way more shortly.

“I’ve obtained over that second,” he stated when requested if the crash was nonetheless a foul reminiscence or if he had obtained over it.

“I visited the place final 12 months after the race and I believe that was a very good determination to only have a second there, for myself and with [partner] Oumi, trying on the level the place all the things occurred, making an attempt to analyse what I did fallacious.

“I believe that helped me quite a bit, with having a bit much less concern on the roads spherical right here. and simply usually.”

It was a very good determination for this 12 months’s Il Lombardia to go up the Sormano and never down, he stated, given how so many different riders have crashed there up to now, however he insisted that “I am utterly over that second. It in all probability solely made me mature and helped me in lots of methods to just accept issues a bit extra simply than I did earlier than.”

“It doesn’t suggest something particular to me and I’ve achieved some nice issues since then. I may cross the bridge on a golden bike” – painted in that color in recognition of his just lately gained standing as Olympic champion – “and that claims sufficient.”

This 12 months’s race

With that episode firmly up to now, Evenepoel is clearly able to deal with the race itself. Having performed one recon of the Il Lombardia route – modified, but once more, in 2024 – Evenepoel says he is aware of a lot of the finale, however that in any case, the query mark stays over his underlying situation.

Given the Colma di Sormano – the second final climb within the 2024 race is 13km lengthy, “It is a very demanding remaining,” Evenepoel reasoned “However then it is a bit unusual with the lengthy flat half now we have to the [last climb] of San Fermo della Battaglia.”

“It is particular to go up an extended climb on the final race of the season, asking for lots of power. However then, alternatively, I hope to achieve Como, which might already be a profitable achievement for me this 12 months. So it is a very good course.”

The crunch subject for Evenepoel, then, is how far he’s wavering away from his high kind and whether or not he can but produce a significant efficiency because of this. On the plus aspect, not like different high names like Primož Roglič (Purple Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) this week who’ve already opted to drag down the blinds on their 2024 season, the truth that he takes half in Il Lombardia says there may be room for some optimism.

Nonetheless, as Evenepoel defined, by means of no fault of his personal his season has been a really irregular one due to the crash and damaged collarbone in Itzulia-Basque Nation this spring. So going into Il Lombardia his default place proper now could be to hedge his bets and see what occurs out on the highway.

“I believe you probably have a wholesome 12 months with no issues, then all the things is feasible to maintain in high form. I proved that in 2022 after I was at a really excessive stage from June to the final week of the season,” he stated.

“However this 12 months I used to be in a rush after Basque to get into form for the month of July and I am simply paying for {that a} bit proper now. it is a bit extra of a wrestle to maintain the great form.”

“So it is nearly getting by means of and seeing what the end result can be. Like I stated, with the damage earlier than the Tour after which getting sick after the Olympics, it wasn’t the very best preparation for the Worlds and these races.

“I am nonetheless ok to carry out. If that is for the win or not, that is one thing I can’t inform for the second.”

As for a way he sees the 2024 Race of the Falling Leaves taking part in out, Evenepoel believes 4 early labeled climbs will make the primary a part of this version of Lombardia is a lot more durable than the final 100km. Because of this, the primary consequence is an enormous combat for a robust breakaway can be virtually inevitable. 

However the second consequence of the onerous begin is probably going the one which pursuits a high contender like Evenepoel probably the most. Conserving the legs recent for the ultimate a part of the race after such a troublesome early problem, he stated will seemingly be key to success in a race as unpredictable as Il Lombardia and with the doubts round his present kind, much more so.

Planning for 2025

Though that is the final Monument of the season, that is Evenepoel’s first of the 12 months, given he needed to skip Liège-Bastogne-Liège due to his Itzulia accidents.  It is hardly stunning then, that after a dearth of participation in one-day racing already curiosity is mounting relating to his 2025 plans for the Classics.

The Belgian was glad to make use of his remaining pre-race press convention of 2024 to debate his preliminary concepts for subsequent Spring. But it surely was extra to ship a primary spherical of damping down any dwelling expectations that he’ll be making his keenly awaited debut within the Tour of Flanders, moderately than to supply any bombshell information about De Ronde.

“For subsequent 12 months we’ll need to see;” he stated. “In all probability the Flemish Classics are a bit troublesome on this program for my greater targets and the issues I actually wish to obtain –  let’s not say as quick as potential however fairly quickly.”

“If there’s a Traditional that perhaps might be performed in 2025, it is going to be San Remo. It’s going to be troublesome to do the opposite Classics subsequent Spring – apart from the Ardennes in fact. However the Flemish ones and San Remo – there is a greater probability I will be not doing them than doing them.”

The place Evenepoel will certainly be lining up, although, in fact, can be in Il Lombardia on Saturday, for what’s his fourth participation in 5 editions and with a hope of bettering on his career-best putting of ninth final 12 months. 

But come what could on the roads of northern Italy this weekend, after a season just like the Belgian’s, something he achieves in his first and remaining Monument of 2024 can solely be thought-about a bonus.