That Tour TT rehearsal paid off with a dominant display in the
national race, and it allowed Evenepoel to gather final data on the setup he’ll
use in France. “It was mainly a matter of testing the entire set-up that I will
be riding in the Tour de France with, in terms of position and such, one last
time. In the end, I have to say that everything has been approved. I did what I
wanted to do and it was an almost perfect time trial.”
The 25-year-old Belgian was especially pleased with the
sensations on the bike. “I now estimate that I am close to the best time trial
Remco ever. I have to maintain that now towards the three weeks in France.”
But even with that confidence, Evenepoel is taking a
different approach to his Tour preparation this year. After a punishing return
to racing at the Critérium du Dauphiné, where he endured searing heat and a
demanding final weekend, the team eased off slightly in their altitude block.
“I felt that I needed some rest after the Dauphiné,” he said. “It was a tough
final weekend, in which the heat played a major role. And also, I think I still
shouldn't forget that I've had a pretty bad winter. That's why I sometimes need
a bit more recovery than last year.”
“Knowing that I would also be riding the two Belgian
championships, it was advisable to recover a bit more,” Evenepoel explained.
Another key change has been his weight. “I am now about a
kilogram lighter than before the Tour de France last year. That is necessary,
because it is again a lot of uphill. Especially from week two. It was also the
plan to be a bit lighter.”
Evenepoel noted that he and his coaches have worked hard to
strike the right balance between reducing weight and maintaining power, a
mistake he feels they made at the 2022 Vuelta a España. “There is also a
climbing time trial in the Tour, in which weight is more important than on the
flat. I think we have sought a balance of less weight, but with maintaining
power. Not like in the 2022 Vuelta: then I was a bit lighter and had a bit less
power. It is always a matter of finding a balance and making sure that it ends
well.”
As for equipment, there’s been no compromise on detail.
“What we often find most useful are material-technical matters such as the type
of handlebars or – like now for example – the helmet that is cut out and helps
me to lie a little lower with my head. Tyres or gears are also things that we
test a little more than my own position. Every little detail counts, because I
saw that Filippo Ganna is also riding around with a new helmet. Everyone is
working on the details and we cannot stand still.”