"He is a physical monster" - Anderlecht star Théo Leoni shares anecdote from Remco Evenepoel's football days

Nowadays, Remco Evenepoel is one of the biggest stars in professional cycling and a winner of Grand Tours, Monuments and World Championships. That very nearly wasn't the case though, with the Belgian also a prodigiously talented footballer in his youth.

During his football days, Evenepoel, played alongside current Anderlecht star and Belgian youth international, Théo Leoni. “I think he has done well to change, don't you?” the midfielder laughs on the show 'La Tribune'. "Anyway, not that Remco couldn't play football, but I don't think he will regret his switch today.”

Playing in the academies of both Anderlecht and Dutch team, PSV Eindhoven, Evenepoel's dream of a football career was ultimately ended by the time he'd finished his teens, at which point the now-Soudal - Quick-Step leader dedicated full time to cycling. “It doesn't surprise me that Evenepoel regularly organizes famous raids during the race. He is a physical monster, as the tests on his lung capacity as youth showed time and time again," Leoni says in awe. "Look, I am also small in stature and have to rely on my physical volume, but Evenepoel was even stronger in that area.”

“When we did tests to measure our VO2max and we always had to be ahead of the beep, I was always left with Remco. The others dropped out one by one. For me it was really a motivation to follow Remco. But in the end I also had to drop out. Mentally I still wanted to, but physically my legs said 'stop',” Leoni recalls. “Remco, he just kept going. Ultimately, it was the physical trainers who just had to shut that thing down. 'Okay Remco, you can stop now - you have broken all records. There is no need for anything else,' they would say.”