Is it an option for Evenepoel to race the Giro and Tour in 2025?
After receiving the Flandrien trophy a few days ago, which recognizes the best Belgian cyclist of the season, Remco Evenepoel made some juicy statements analyzing the recently concluded season and giving some ideas about what his calendar for 2025 could look like.
Remco Evenepoel faces the 2025 season with the goal of winning a grand tour
At the Flandrien of the year awards ceremony, a trophy awarded by the well-known Belgian newspaper Het Niewsblad to the best cyclist in the country, where Remco Evenepoel won in the male category and Lotte Kopecki in the female category, the Soudal-QuickStep cyclist gave some hints about what his 2025 season could look like.
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"Last year, doubling the Giro and the Tour was not an option if I wanted to be in top form for the Olympics. Now we can consider it, but first we will wait to see what the route is like. In any case, if I end up racing the Giro, I won't race either the Amstel Gold Race or the Fleche Wallonne. I would never miss Liege as long as I am healthy," stated the Belgian cyclist.
It is also surprising that a rider of his characteristics had at some point considered tackling the Paris-Roubaix, something that, at least for the moment, is completely ruled out.
In any case, after experiencing what it's like to win a grand tour in La Vuelta 2022, Remco Evenepoel is clear about his goal for next year: "to have the feeling of winning a grand tour again," although he is fully aware that, despite his great improvement in the mountains throughout 2024, "there are still two climbers who are better than me. Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard are my references."
Of course, the Tour de France will once again be a special event "The Tour is not a game. Everyone has to be at 110%," in a clear message, which echoes statements by Patrick Lefevere, pointing out the need to have a fully competitive team to face the tremendous potential of Visma-Lease a Bike and UAE Team Emirates.
And, as expected from such a competitive cyclist as Remco Evenepoel, the Belgian is clear that "I am not going to adapt my calendar to Tadej's. Actually, I really enjoy competing against Pogacar. Besides being a great champion, he is a good guy. I see it as a challenge to try to beat him."
He was also asked by journalists from Het Niewsblad about his 2024 and what had been his best day. Remco is clear: Stage 17 of the Tour de France that ended in Superdevouly "was my best day of 2024, even better than at the Olympics. I felt very good but I was afraid to move. With 3km to go, I found myself alone at the front, a new situation, I panicked. If next year I find myself in that situation, I know I have to give it my all."