"Evenepoel is gone and has received a blow he has never had before" - Jose De Cauwer reacts to dramatic collapse of Belgian Vuelta hopes

The dramatic and comprehensive collapse of Remco Evenepoel's general classification challenge at the Vuelta a Espana on stage 13 comes as a bitter blow to not just the Soudal - Quick-Step leader but also his legion of supporters.

Sporza analyst Jose De Cauwer has long been one of Evenepoel's most vocal advocates. "Evenepoel is gone and has received a blow he has never had before. Or at least not like this," he told Renaat Schotte post-stage as part of the channels coverage of the 2023 Vuelta a Espana. "That's a shame."

Post-stage Evenepoel was quickly shepherded off away from the mass of reporters hoping to grab a quick word. "I would expect an explanation for the journalists standing there. That could take 2 minutes, but it doesn't have to be more. And then you know what happens," explains De Cauwer. "There may and should be disappointment, but then you also have to meet that demand a little."

But what exactly led to this most brutal of cracks from someone who had looked supreme? Over twenty-seven minutes had been lost by the time the Belgian crossed the line. "It won't be because of the preparation," speculates De Cauwer. "You can have a bad day and lose 2 minutes. But then you won't be released if there are still 30 to 40 riders in the group. This is much more than anything we've ever seen."

One positive for the Belgians on stage 13 was the performance of 20-year-old Cian Uijtdebroeks and De Cauwer finished his analysis with words of praise for the BORA - hansgrohe starlet.

"This is coming in after 13 days. He has already been through something with his stomach and his buttocks. But he keeps fighting and that means his body is made for big rounds," says De Cauwer with a smile. "He is only 20 years old: congratulations! He is the man for the future. And more importantly: he is so sober, neutral, down to earth. And that enthusiasm is great. A lot can still happen. He likes these climbs more than, for example, the Angliru. But in terms of health he seems to be among the better riders."