"If I really had to bet I think it would be on Evenepoel" - Thomas de Gendt's pick for Vuelta a Espana win

Thomas de Gendt is heading to the Vuelta a Espana but will be eyeing opportunities at the Tour de Pologne where he is currently racing. He talks about the preparation towards the final Grand Tour of the season, his long bike trip from Belgium to Spain and his pick for the Vuelta.

“It was the day we left Andorra when we finished somewhere in Catalonia, so suddenly we went down from altitude and into a headwind for 20 kilometres with temperatures of 47 degrees," De Gendt told Cyclingnews. “The other days it was only 35 degrees, so that felt a bit cooler. But that day with 47 degrees, that was horrible. It was a pity that we had headwinds all the time, but it was nice. We enjoyed ourselves.”

As he's done in the past, de Gendt has ridden a long trip adding big hours on the bike. He's hoping that work will pay off later this month, de Gendt has not won a race since the eighth stage of the 2022 Giro d'Italia. This week in Poland he has new chances with a few hilly stages.

“If there is a chance and I’m allowed, for certain I will try, but we have a few guys here who can do a good GC,” the Belgian added. “Lennert van Eetvelt is a young guy but he will try to see how far he can get in a race like this one.”

Lotto Dstny is not going to take part in the fight for the overall classification at the Vuelta, the veteran has shared his opinion on who will win the race: “It’s really too soon to say, but the guys who will be the best prepared for it will be Geraint Thomas, Primoz Roglic, Evenepoel."

"I think in Jonas Vingegaard’s case, maybe the fatigue from the Tour will catch up with him, or maybe it won’t. I don’t know. But if I really had to bet I think it would be on Evenepoel. I think he will be the best prepared."