"Most criticized third place ever": Patrick Lefevere defends Remco Evenepoel and questions modern racing trends

Despite securing a podium spot at Liege-Bastogne-Liege, Remco Evenepoel has faced intense scrutiny for being unable to match the blistering pace of Tadej Pogacar and Paul Seixas. Patrick Lefevere, his former team boss at Soudal Quick-Step, has stepped up to defend his former protégé while taking aim at the modern peloton's obsession with altitude camps over actual racing.

Writing in his column for the Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad, Lefevere was quick to point out the absurdity of the negative reactions surrounding Evenepoel's performance.

"Remco Evenepoel is once again a record richer: the most criticism ever after a third place in Liège-Bastogne-Liège," Lefevere began. "What you read is unbelievable. I am the first to be demanding, but a podium in a Monument, behind phenoms like Pogacar and Seixas, still counts as a successful report card in my book."

While Lefevere acknowledged that Evenepoel was dropped and didn't look his best on La Redoute, he stressed that history will only remember the final result. He pointed out the hypocrisy of critics who usually claim "only the result matters," yet still find a way to complain when Evenepoel secures a Monument podium.

Analyzing why the Belgian star couldn't match the explosive accelerations of his rivals, Lefevere pointed to two potential factors: weight and race days.

First, he speculated that Evenepoel might currently be carrying a bit more weight than he will be during his peak condition for the Tour de France. While he noted that Pogacar also seems to carry a little extra bulk in the spring, Lefevere suggested that "perhaps weight has a greater impact on Remco than on Pogacar."

Secondly, Lefevere highlighted a massive discrepancy in freshness. While Pogacar arrived at Liège-Bastogne-Liège with just 4 race days in his legs, Evenepoel arrived with 24 race days. "I make that observation not to question his season buildup, but freshness is not a detail in racing," Lefevere stated. "Let us, above all, be happy with a rider who still actually wants to race so much."

This contrast in race days led the former team boss to a broader critique of the modern WorldTour calendar. As of early May, the sport's absolute biggest stars barely race outside of their main targets: Pogacar had 11 race days, Van der Poel had 13 and Vingegaard had 15.

While Lefevere understands that sponsors are perfectly happy with this incredible win rate from the "Big Three," he worries about the precedent it sets for the rest of the peloton. Riders are increasingly substituting race days for extended altitude training camps, effectively treating the actual races as brief interludes between training blocks on volcanoes.

"I know that altitude camps work, but sometimes races now seem like intermezzos between two of those camps," Lefevere questioned. "I wonder: does a sprinter really need to go on an altitude camp? Certainly not twice a season."

Reflecting on his own era, Lefevere recalled a time when riders were capped at a maximum of 85 race days per year to prevent burnout. Looking at today's disappearing peloton, he offered a radical counter-proposal. "Maybe it's not a bad idea to introduce a lower limit. That Pogacar and Van der Poel limit themselves to the big appointments, fair enough. But for many other riders I think: 'could you perhaps race a little more?'"