Remco Evenepoel achieves eighth stage-race win at the Volta ao Algarve: "The whole team did a tremendous job"

Remco Evenepoel has stormed to another race win as he conquered the Volta ao Algarve. The Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team prodigy has won his eighth stage-race of what is a short career just days after turning 22 years old, and is aiming high for the coming season.

“It feels amazing to get another stage race victory for the team and I can’t tell you how happy I am that I could bring it home after a hard week of racing. The whole team did a tremendous job, not just today, when they protected me and rode at the front, but the entire week, so I want to thank them for that. This is the Wolfpack spirit and we showed it again, and we can be proud of what we achieved here," a happy Evenepoel said after the finish. This win was the eighth stage-race victory of his career and first of the season, equalling Tadej Pogacar's success at the same age of 22, albeit some months younger making him the youngest active rider to reach this achievement.

After playing a key role in the leadout for Fabio Jakobsen on both of his sprint wins in Portugal this week, just like he had in Valenciana, the Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team has had the legs to repay Evenepoel for his work in the final stage at the Volta ao Algarve where the Belgian was attacked from early on. After Daniel Martínez put in a set of soaring attacks the first time up the Alto do Malhão Evenepoel was isolated, but after keeping the attacks under control he found Yves Lampaert who was in the breakaway for support, and Louis Vervaeke who paced him up half of the final climb in a pace that prevented any attacks.

He added: “My opponents attacked me today, but I had good legs – although I could feel the effort of Saturday’s time trial – and that’s why on the last climb I pushed a high tempo. Then, in the final 200 meters, when I was sure of my success and the others began sprinting on that flat part, I took some time to celebrate my win and this yellow jersey."

Now I will go home and prepare for Tirreno-Adriatico, a beautiful race that I am eager to discover," Evenepoel said, as he starts off his season quite successfully in the Mediterranean before heading up to central Europe where he is set to kick off his World Tour racing for the year.