Evenepoel looking sharp for Vuelta a Espana debut having "lightest weight of all of 2022" proven successful

Before his win at the Clasica San Sebastian, where he impressed to drop everyone on the ascent to Erlaitz and took a comfortable solo win - his second in the race - Remco Evenepoel has talked to reporters about his recent training camp and the effects towards the Vuelta a Espana.

“I'm a little less heavy," he said to the many reporters present on a Zoom call. "Take the first part of this season, when I worked towards Liège-Bastogne-Liège. That is a course with fewer long climbs and more explosiveness. We didn't pay attention to my weight then, or at least not like I do now with this race and the Vuelta coming up," he said. Early in the season his objectives were pointed towards the hilly races, but that ambition has now changed as he's looking to perform in the high mountains of the Vuelta a Espana.

For that, he has given a lot of attention to his weight, reportedly dropped from 64 back to 60Kg before the Spanish classic. "Right now I'm at my lightest weight of all of 2022. The diet you follow also depends on the race. In addition, there are specific workouts that help to lose muscle mass or fat," he explained.

“The steeper the climb, the more important the weight. The weight loss I've been having lately can really help me respond to attacks. As a result, I suffer less on the really steep sections". At the recent Basque classic he's shown the results of that work, having dropped all of the competition in the steep ascent of Erlaitz which averaged over 10% with seemingly relative ease. He is nevertheless keen on conserving himself racing-wise in order to reach the final mountain stages of the Vuelta in top form.

He's been on a training camp in Livigno together with several teammates recently, having put his focus on riding long kilometers in the Alpine ascents, and building an aerobic base which will be necessary for the upcoming months. "I've trained a lot on the Mortirolo and other really steep climbs in Livigno because I know what's coming up in the Vuelta as well," he revealed.

"I felt during those workouts that I quickly got used to those steep sections. Also, my explosiveness is even slightly better than a few months ago, despite the weight loss," Evenepoel explained, surprisingly. The Vuelta a Espana is set to start on the 19th of August and go deep into September, making for a long period to keep the form, unless Evenepoel is yet to show his best legs.