“He wanted this so badly” - Analyst highlights Evenepoel’s nerves before Amstel Gold Race victory

Remco Evenepoel’s victory at the Amstel Gold Race brought joy to many fans, but few were as delighted as former Dutch rider Roxane Knetemann. Speaking on the podcast In het Wiel, Knetemann admitted she could hardly hide her emotions after seeing the Belgian triumph in one of her favourite races on the calendar.

“The most sexy rider in the peloton wins my dream race” she said. “Do you know that song, ‘You can’t wipe that smile off my face’? That’s a little how I feel.”

For Knetemann, the day was already special long before the decisive attack or the finish line celebrations. She was involved in the event presentation, working alongside Sander Kleikers to introduce the teams ahead of the start in Maastricht.

“It was beautiful already this morning,” she explained. “I was standing there with a smile from ear to ear. You see the market square in Maastricht filling up more and more during the presentation. By the end of the women’s presentation, the square was completely full. It was beautiful from the start of the day until the end of the day.”

Yet one of the most striking moments for her came on the start podium, where she unexpectedly found herself interviewing Remco Evenepoel.

“I wasn’t supposed to interview Evenepoel, but it just happened that he was standing on my side. So then I had to interview him” she said. “I noticed butterflies in my stomach. I had to interview the man everyone was talking about.”

What surprised her even more was the mood of the double Olympic champion himself.

“But I also noticed that he was nervous. He is just a mortal too. I tried to lighten the atmosphere, but he stayed very stoic. Afterwards I asked if he was looking forward to it as well, and then I got his first little smile.”

Knetemann believes that brief exchange offered a revealing glimpse into the human side of one of cycling’s biggest stars. Riders such as Evenepoel are often discussed as if they are machines, capable of switching on peak performance at will. But from only a few metres away, she saw something different.

“He was genuinely happy too. I understand the focus before the start, but I noticed a tension in him that I did not expect. He really wanted to win, really badly.”

For Knetemann, that was the true takeaway from the day. Beneath the aura, the power numbers and the results, Evenepoel still carries the same nerves and hunger as any rider lining up for a major race.

“It was another eye-opener” she concluded. “We talk about those guys as machines. But he still gets nervous, they are just human after all.”