"He was going so fast that sitting on his wheel was like riding into a headwind" - Romain Bardet praises Remco Evenepoel's skills
Cycling
Remco Evenepoel isn’t nicknamed 'the aero bullet' for nothing. From the world championship road race and Liège-Bastogne-Liège through Saturday’s 14th stage of this Vuelta a España, Evenepoel has ruined rivals from all corners of the peloton with his extra-aero long-range raids.
"He was going so fast that sitting on his wheel was like riding into a headwind," Romain Bardet said Saturday. The Frenchman had just endured some 90km of being put through the Remco-wringer before he was dropped, a cramped-out, crosseyed wreck. "When he was on the descents he was so aero that I was having to pedal to stay with him. It was the same on the flats," Bardet said. "It was crazy. Every time I came out of a corner, I had to sprint just to stay with him."
"He’s really, really efficient on the bike, so his aero position and his power output can be combined," Soudal Quick-Step coach Vasilis Anastopoulos told Velo. "I’ve never seen a rider that’s both as efficient and aero as Remco," he continued. "That explains a lot of his performances, especially the long solo attacks – he spends a lot less energy than the guys chasing him."
"Now that we’ve all got super fast bikes, he’s the only guy left in the peloton who’s so aero that when he’s ahead of me on a descent I’ve got no choice but to follow on his wheel," Bardet said. "It’s now that I understand how he can do these solo attacks 100 km from the finish. It’s amazing."
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Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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The talented Mr. Evenepoel 😎 #LaVuelta23 Photo: @GettySport / @BeelWout
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