“I think he is a very good actor" - Adam Blythe impressed by Remco Evenepoel's Vuelta mind games
Cycling
Remco Evenepoel has had a tumultuous first week at the 2023 Vuelta a Espana. After multiple crashes though, the Belgian leader of Soudal - Quick-Step enters the first rest day 4th in the GC, well positioned in the Red Jersey battle.
"Quite honestly, I think he's a very good actor," says Adam Blythe on Eurosport, about the Belgian, who despite disappointment, has maintained a positive outlook for the majority of the race to date. Referencing the stage 8 finale, where a miscommunication saw Evenepoel choose not to battle Primoz Roglic for the stage win, Blythe was impressed by the mind games. "He looked super calm after the stage. And I think that is alluring to Jumbo-Visma, being sort of like: ‘Oh god, I'm so angry that I didn't get it because, you know, I really wanted it’."
The Vuelta a Espana is finely poised at the first rest day, Sepp Kuss leads with Evenepoel 2:22 behind and Primoz Roglic and Jonas Vingegaard not far behind. “For me, he will be disappointed. But I think there's a little bit of acting in there just because he knows that Jumbo-Visma are going to see that," Blythe evaluates.
On Tuesday, the 5th of September, an individual time-trial could see Evenepoel retake the Red Jersey. Kuss is not renowned for his abilities against the clock and with the Soudal - Quick-Step leader being the world champion in the discipline, Evenepoel will need a big effort if he wants to retain his Vuelta a Espana title.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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Front24208-11-2026 - On a positive note, you maybe notice turning this topic into a discussion has the benefit of eliminating certain participants who do not see how they can turn it back to their sole interest ;-)Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
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