"I did not see in him a future Tour de France winner" - Expert unconvinced by Remco Evenepoel despite podium on debut

Remco Evenepoel made his long awaited Tour de France debut in 2024, silencing a lot of his doubters and keeping pace with Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard for much of the race. In the end, the Soudal - Quick-Step leader finished 3rd overall, took a stage victory and claimed the White Jersey for Best Young Rider.

Add to that some brilliant performances elsewhere across the 2024 season, including making history at the Paris Olympic Games as he won gold in both the individual time trial and the men's road race, 2024 was a big season for the Belgian. "It certainly is. It's a great season and we learned last month that his real best year will come next year when he turns 26. Then he will be at his peak," assesses cycling expert Jan Hermsen in the latest episode of Eurosport's Kop over Kop podcast. "It's hard to top what he did this year."

Despite the standout season for Evenepoel in 2024, Hermsen isn't fully convinced the Belgian is ever going to good enough to end the long wait for a Belgian Maillot Jaune winner. "What he did at the Olympics is fabulous. That has to do with the fact that he rode a good Tour. But he does finish ten minutes behind Pogacar," he notes thoughtfully. "I don't see where he's going to make up for that in the next few years if Pogacar stays as strong and Vingegaard gets better again."

"I think those two are going to come out on top. Then you have to be very happy with such a super year and hope that one of the Galacticos does not appear at the start of the Tour," Hermsen concludes. "I have not become convinced, despite his third-place finish, that he will ever take that Tour win. I did not see in him a future Tour winner."