Cyrille Guimard - "Evenepoel must not make the slightest mistake if he wants to win this Vuelta"

For many, the challenge of trying to overcome an extremely impressive Jumbo-Visma trio almost single-handedly would be daunting. Remco Evenepoel has never lacked confidence however although Cyrille Guimard believes the Belgian will have to ride a perfect race from here on out to win the Vuelta a Espana.

"The important thing for Remco Evenepoel is not linked to the time trial, but it is linked to a team which has two leaders (Primoz Roglic and Jonas Vingegaard) and a teammate who is becoming leader and entering the strategy of victory (Sepp Kuss)," Guimard details in his column for Cyclism'Actu. "It's the strategy that will make the difference and Evenepoel must not have a bad day."

Jumbo-Visma duo Roglic and Vingegaard have previously launched a two-up assault on Tadej Pogacar at the Tour de France that eventually cracked the Slovenian and led to Vingegaard winning the Maillot Jaune. If they play a similar tactic with Kuss involved as well, how can Evenepoel respond?

"The right strategy for Evenepoel? We must already give them the jersey. This will force them to behave in a certain way during the race and allow him to be the hunter rather than the hunted," says the Frenchman. "What is certain is that he will have to be very intelligent and have a good sense of the race, that is to say, a good sense of who is the worst of the three Jumbo-Vismas."

"If there is one that is a little less good and you can eject it, you will have to do so. But whatever happens, Evenepoel must not make the slightest mistake if he wants to win this Vuelta," Guimard concludes. "Afterwards, what worries me about him is that I have the impression that he is not at his ideal weight. I feel a little wrapped up in him and that won't forgive him. I think he has 1 or 2 kilos that he will have to lose within a week, but it's not easy."