Patrick Lefevere: "Evenepoel does not complain"

Remco Evenepoel has had something of a rollercoaster ride so far at the 2023 Vuelta a Espana. Stage wins and Red Jersey's have coincided with multiple crashes and time loss on the most recent summit finish.

Soudal - Quick-Step boss Patrick Lefevere has been impressed with his Belgian team leader's attitude however, not complaining or blaming any potential injuries. “The figure of Remco is no stranger to this," Lefevere writes in his Het Nieuwsblad column. "He fell quite spectacularly after his stage victory in Andorra, but Evenepoel does not complain about the headache and hip pain that he really had afterwards."

Much has been made of the perceived weakness in Evenepoel's support riders compared to that of his rivals and an illness that his spread through the team will hardly have helped matters. Lefevere believes this may have played a part in the 32 second loss Evenepoel suffered to Jumbo-Visma duo Primoz Roglic and Jonas Vingegaard on stage 6.

“As I have said three hundred thousand times: the team is always as good as the leader," says Lefevere. “Three of our riders became ill during the night from Tuesday to Wednesday. Louis Vervaeke , James Knox and Andrea Bagioli developed severe stomach pains at night and spent more time on the toilet than in their bed. Immediately it was all hands on deck within the team."

“Knox recovered relatively quickly, but Vervaeke and certainly Bagioli had a very difficult day on the bike on Wednesday,” he continues. “The radio platoon then of course does its job: everyone had seen our 'servants' crouching along the course. On Thursday, Jumbo-Visma and a few accomplices put pressure on us from kilometre one. Which I also understand. If I'm honest: in their place I would have done exactly the same under the circumstances."

Evenepoel limited his losses very well however, giving Lefevere reason to smile. “He did a masterful job of limiting the damage afterwards. To such an extent that he even rode the last kilometre faster than the Jumbo tandem," he concludes. "He kept a cool head in difficult circumstances and more than saved the furniture.”