"Not this year, that's my answer" - Remco Evenepoel responds Tadej Pogacar's attempts to lure him to the Tour de France

After Remco Evenepoel's Giro d'Italia was brought to a premature end by a positive covid test, many people quickly raised the question of whether or not the Belgian would race the Tour de France and go head-to-head with the likes of Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard.

This however, was never a realistic proposal, despite Tadej Pogacar himself attempting to lure Evenepoel to Paris. "Not this year, that's my answer. I exchanged a few messages with Pogacar and you must understand that I I did six months of preparation for the Giro, on a deserted mountain," explains the Soudal - Quick-Step leader at a pre-Tour de Suisse press conference.

Following the positive covid test, Evenepoel was off his bike for a period of time and this was a very important reason why racing the Tour de France could never happen this year. "I had to stop cycling for two weeks. It was not easy to find a decent form and if I had lined up at the start of the Tour de France," says Evenepoel. "I would have only been at 50 % of my abilities."

"To line up without ambition for the general was an option but if I had been dropped on the first mountain stage, I would have made the headlines in Belgium," he continues. "It would not have been possible to line up in these conditions, but it is only a postponement.”

Nevertheless, at the Tour de Suisse, Evenepoel is one of the big favourites. Something he is very much aware of. “It was not easy to choose, but Switzerland fits well with my development and the Grand Tour dreams that I have. There is altitude, there are long climbs and I think there is has some nice time trials on the course. Also, I enjoyed the Tour de Suisse a lot last year," he says. "We'll see how it goes during the week. I'm fresh at the start, but it's a difficult race. There are several difficult stages in the middle. I wouldn't have participated if I didn't have good form."