The Belgian team's win was built from early on, as the team worked hard in the ascent to Jaizkibel and earlier to shed some units from the peloton, and set up an early attack for the Belgian. “The guys did an incredible job from the beginning of the day and I am grateful to them, it was thanks to their hard work that I could arrive on the Erlaitz with a lot of energy," he said.
He followed the wheels early on in the climb to Erlaitz, but quickly enough he put himself in front and rode a constant pace, one no-one could keep up with that saw Evenepoel go over the climb with over 40 seconds over the nearest competitor. "All I had to do there was to go all-out, and that’s what I did. The gap was good, and I maintained the tempo after getting clear, although it wasn’t easy with the headwind," he detailed.
In the way he knows best, Evenepoel then rode to the finish all alone, extending his gap and comfortably arriving in San Sebastián for the final time with a healthy lead. "Then I rode full gas on Murgil Tontorra, before taking it a bit slow on the descent, knowing the two-minute advantage was enough," he added. This was, after 2019, his second win in the race, and one won in even more impressive fashion.
"It was a perfect race for us and I am happy with my second 'txapela'. I love racing here, the fans are fantastic and I can’t wait to return to the Basque Country when the Vuelta – where I’ll go with a good feeling, relaxed and confident after this win – visits it in a couple of weeks," he concluded.