"My general career goal is clear: one day I want to win the Tour" - Remco Evenepoel on Tour de France and recent crash

Remco Evenepoel has experienced a very bad crash now almost a month ago, where he suffered many fractures after a collision with a vehicle. He is since recovering but describes the recovery process and how affects his ambitions and calendar for the 2025 season.

"In the hospital, they told me that I had to have surgery as soon as possible, otherwise everything would grow wrong. I knew straight away that I would have a long rehabilitation period," the Olympic and World Champions said in an interview with Het Laatste Nieuws.

"I doubted myself. Will I make it this year? Will it be okay? People don't see those things. They run into me in the shop. They ask how I'm doing, and then I laugh. I'm positive, but when I get home, I break down."

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There is still one week left for him to find out whether he can return to the bike or not, but the massive delay in his training will see the Soudal - Quick-Step rider skip most of the racing in the spring and also the Giro d'Italia.

"I don't want to rush anything. The preparation for a Grand Tour takes five, six months and I won't have that time, so I'm inclined to say 'no Giro'," he says. The Tour de France will become his main Grand Tour goal this year without much of a choice to aim for the Giro.

Evenepoel hopes to return to racing at the Brabantse Pijl, and be in good form for the spring classics that follow. "I'm trying to focus on the Ardennes Classics, but to be honest, there's only one thing in my head. That's to be at the top in the Tour. The rest is not really important. Give myself time until the beginning of July and then do better than last year at the highest level for three weeks."

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Evenepoel tells about his tradition and how it has changed this year, the first since 2021 where he enters the year coming back from a serious injury and unsure of how high he can go.

"Every year, at my first breakfast on January 1st, I write down my goals. That’s a bit harder now because of the injury, but my general career goal is clear: one day I want to win the Tour. That’s the only thing I really want to tick off. Does that stress me out? No. It motivates me."

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