"I didn’t experience any stiffness on the bike" - Remco Evenepoel shows no signs of crash after effects at the Vuelta a Espana

Remco Evenepoel safely navigated stage 4 of the 2023 Vuelta a Espana, avoiding a pair of late crashes to maintain his overall lead of the race on a much needed day of relative calm.

“My team did a great job protecting me the entire day and especially in the finale, where we stayed calm as things became more hectic due to the presence of that many roundabouts," the Belgian leader of the Soudal - Quick-Step team told their official website in a post-stage interview.

After having had the almost constant drama of the opening three days, a calm stage 4 was very much needed for Evenepoel. After crashing into a crowd following his stage victory on Monday, the 23-year-old thankfully hasn't felt any lasting troubles.

"I felt good after yesterday’s crash – the team doctors took really good care of me – I didn’t experience any stiffness on the bike, and it was a nice first day, and a quite calm one, in the red jersey," he evaluates. "Tomorrow should be another opportunity for the sprinters, and afterwards we’ll focus again on the climbing and the fight for the general classification."