Today however was a day to conserve: “It was a perfect scenario because the other teams controlled the race, and we didn’t have to do anything. Everybody could try to recover from yesterday’s race, and in the end, everybody was doing well. We were in control, and we were relaxed. It was quite a good day for us.”
“It was great to wake up this morning to see the red helmet and the special bike,” Evenepoel told of his experience, in what was the first of many days he will have in the lead of a Grand Tour throughout his career. “I slept well, and I had a good night. The team is ready to protect me as long as I can defend.”
“It’s a tricky race, and going into the time trial with an advantage would be better than going into the time trial from behind," he concluded. Evenepoel has put particular attention in the time-trial, but in the meantime
Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team will have a big challenge to protect the Belgian in the coming two days of racing.