“I feel pretty relaxed” – Evenepoel talks return to racing and blockbuster move to Red Bull – BORA- hansgrohe

Remco Evenepoel’s long-awaited return to racing came this week at the Tour of Britain, a month and a half after his early exit from the Tour de France. The Belgian Olympic champion last pinned on a number on July 19 during stage 14 of the Tour, where he abandoned on the Tourmalet after three torrid days in the Pyrenees. Despite winning a stage and wearing the white jersey earlier in the race, the lack of winter training eventually caught up with him, ending his Tour abruptly in week two.

Since then, Evenepoel has dominated headlines not for his results, but for the confirmation of his blockbuster transfer. The 25-year-old will leave Soudal – Quick-Step at the end of the season for Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe, a move that reshapes the sport’s power balance.

Speaking to Cycling Weekly and also Daniel Benson during the British race, Evenepoel explained how he learned of the timing of the announcement. “I think it was just the time that both of the teams decided to come out with the news and I just had to accept it,” he said. “In the end, it's how it goes. I said it already to the Belgian press yesterday: everybody has their opinions, and I was ready for both of them. I think it's probably for both a relief that it's out.”

He acknowledged the contrasting ambitions of the two teams. “It's clear that Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe is really moving towards the Grand Tours, and here they're focusing a bit more on the Classics,” he said. “For me, at this moment, the most important [thing] is to keep going and give the best version of myself until my last race for Soudal Quick-Step.”

Evenepoel emphasized how refreshed he feels after his summer break. “Honestly, for the moment, I feel pretty relaxed and fresh in the body,” he said. “I’m actually happy to be back in competition. I think this year here in the Tour of Britain, the course is pretty hard, so it’s a perfect race to get back into competition and towards the Worlds.”

The Worlds in Rwanda will be his final big target of the season. After winning rainbow jerseys in every year since 2022, the road race in Wollongong, time trials in Glasgow and Zurich, Evenepoel is hungry to extend that streak. “I think I have two nice opportunities,” he said, “so I hope to be in my best shape as possible, and then try to aim for the highest.”

Asked about the Belgian squad heading to Rwanda, Evenepoel admitted that not every rider wanted to make the trip but stressed the quality of the final selection. “There are of course guys who didn’t want to join to go to Rwanda,” he said, without naming names. “But I think the team we have now is the best possible. Every rider should be making the decision himself, and he has his reasons for that. The team we have now are all guys who were also on my list, let’s say, so I think it’s for the moment the best team that we could get. We’ll just give it our best shot and try to go for it.”

Evenepoel’s departure was acknowledged by his current team with respect. “Since its inception in 2003, our team has seen many iterations and changes, while continuing to develop into one of the most successful teams in the history of professional cycling and recently became the first professional cycling team to reach 1000 UCI wins. While we regret Remco’s decision to leave, we will foster the memories that we have made and will continue to strive together to achieve some significant results for the rest of the season,” Soudal–Quick-Step said in a statement.

On the other side, BORA boss Ralph Denk hailed the signing last month. “The goal of the transfer is to expand our reach. We're not just talking about the Tour, but about much more. It's had a huge impact on the team in terms of media, as far as we can tell,” he said in Sport am Samstag. “He's already achieved a lot at a young age, and we believe he can achieve much more. I've received many congratulations after his arrival. It's no secret that we've been interested in Remco since the coronavirus pandemic. What's extremely interesting is his development from footballer to cyclist.”

Looking ahead, Denk admitted that questions remain about how Evenepoel will fit alongside current leaders. “We need to discuss how we're going to approach the Grand Tours. It's too early to say what it might mean for Roglic and others. Cycling isn't like football, where you only have one lineup for every race. In the Giro, Tour de France, and Vuelta, the team always looks the same. Once we know next year's routes, we can start putting the pieces together. Primoz and Florian are still under contract next year, in any case.”