"I'd had enough of the situation and all the storms that had come" - Remco Evenepoel admits constant media scrutiny almost forced him to take mental health break from cycling

The future of where Remco Evenepoel would continue his career was very much up in the air towards the back end of 2023. With talk of a Jumbo-Visma/Soudal - Quick-Step merger and rumours of a move to the INEOS Grenadiers, Evenepoel was desperate for a break from the drama.

“We are happy and reassured that everything has remained stable and that we have been able to start with a blank page. It has been a serious storm for everyone, including myself. But I am certainly happy that everything has subsided and that I can now focus 100 percent on what is coming," the Belgian tells Sporza honestly. "Regardless of the situation that existed or that might arise, everyone had doubts, questions were asked and fingers were pointed at certain people and not at others. It was a very messy situation within our team. I was very happy that everything was over and that I could go on holiday. It was enough for a while."

Whilst completely quitting the sport was never an option, the constant rumour and innuendo surrounding his name in the press really did get Evenepoel down. "I wanted a week of rest at home with Oumi after the Vuelta, but then it all started. It was just the opposite. Instead of preparing quietly for 2 weeks, it was hectic," he recalls.

"I was not able to fully prepare for that race. Other things were priorities, which I would rather not have. It shows how extreme it was," he continues. "Stop racing? It didn't go that fae. I wanted to get away from the racing world for a while, but I didn't want to stop racing. That never crossed my mind. Cycling is what I prefer to do and it will always remain that way, but I'd had enough of the situation and all the storms that had come at me and at us."