“Remco doesn’t look for excuses" - Quick-Step CEO confident Evenepoel can bounce back from Liege-Bastogne-Liege disappointment

There were big hopes for Remco Evenepoel at Liege-Bastogne-Liege last Sunday afternoon. Sadly though, the Belgian was unable to properly put up a fight against Tadej Pogacar, eventually crossing the line 3:11 down on his rival in 59th place.

Despite the obvious disappointment at the result of their team leader, Soudal - Quick-Step aren't getting too downhearted. “It wasn’t necessarily a bad day for Remco,” the team's CEO Jurgen Foré calmly explained to Wielerflits in a post-race interview afterwards. “He’s simply being confronted with reality. A race like Liège–Bastogne–Liège was still a bit too much, too soon, after the comeback he’s made over the past weeks and months.”

After an electric return to racing at Brabantse Pijl, Evenepoel podiumed at the Amstel Gold Race but then didn't really feature at La Fleche Wallonne, gradually getting worse in each of his four outings if you include his Liege cracking. “We analysed that honestly. The Amstel Gold Race allowed for a more consistent hard tempo, whereas Liège is marked by more ups and downs," says Fore. "And you can’t compare the Brabantse Pijl to the 4,000 meters of climbing and 260 kilometres of Liège. It wasn’t a disaster, but he realized he’s still missing those final few percent needed to compete at the very top.”

“Miracles don’t exist,” Foré continues, reiterating Evenepoel's own comments after the race. “Remco has raced four times in seven days. It’s clear that he doesn’t yet have the full base condition. He’s also missing race sharpness. La Flèche Wallonne on Wednesday was already extremely tough due to the rain, and in Liège it was the first truly hot day. It’s only natural that he lacks consistency. Once he builds up that race rhythm, he’ll be able to tap into his reserves again.”

Nevertheless, Quick-Step retain full faith in the Olympic champion, confident he can quickly bounce back. “Remco doesn’t look for excuses," Fore insists. "You can see in every way that he’s growing older and more mature. He came onto the team bus calm and composed, and told us the final hour of the race had been tough. After that, he answered all the media’s questions with honest feedback and still made time for the fans. It’s admirable how he’s learned to embrace that.”

“Sport doesn’t lie, not even for great champions," he adds. "That’s why we shouldn’t panic. It’s important to stay calm, keep looking ahead, and continue working hard. It will all come together, I’m sure of it. If you can already win so soon after such a long period of inactivity, and arguably be the strongest rider in the Amstel, then you have every reason to keep your head held high moving forward.”