Remco Evenepoel has been trying to shrug off some of the pressure from himself, but in a recent interview he has talked about his biggest oposition at the Giro d'Italia, and with little surprise he was quick to mention Primoz Roglic.
"My biggest opponent will be Primož Roglič," Evenepoel told Het Laatste Nieuws. "He has more experience than me in stage races, he was already third in the Giro and last year he only crashed out of the Vuelta. The course suits him very much, he is not one to avoid taking risks and can gain seconds on any type of finish.
The two already went head-to-head this past summer at the Vuelta a Espana, where the Slovenian recovered from injury to become Evenepoel's main rival. The battle was set to head into the final week, until Primoz Roglic violently crashed out of the race. Evenepoel resisted the attacks of Enric Mas to storm into the red jersey and a maiden Grand Tour win.
"It seemed strange to me, however, that earlier he declared that he would not be at the Giro, because he arrived too early, and that news of his presence arrived a week later," the Soudal - Quick-Step rider said at the team's presentation. "Still, I'm glad he can come back. I hope he will be at his best, I expect a great battle, at a very high level."
Several riders have confirmed their intention of fighting for a top result at the Corsa Rosa, including the likes of Geraint Thomas, Aleksandr Vlasov, João Almeida, Jack Haig and Thymen Arensman. The time-trials should be decisive and Evenepoel will not have competition which he can obbliterate against the clock.
"But there are at least two other riders to keep an eye on at the Giro: Geraint Thomas and Alexandr Vlasov. They are athletes who cannot be underestimated," he points out as two very possible threats.
Questions were also asked about the Tour de France in 2024, despite the time that remains before. "The Tour de France 2024? Who says that the Vuelta of that year is no longer suitable for me, in terms of route and timed kilometers?" he responded. The presentation of the Spanish Grand Tour will take place this Tuesday the 10th of January.
"We will see. Of course, one day I will go to the Tour de France, that for sure. Other rides on my wish list? Lombardy and the World [Championships] Time Trial. And I have another certainty: with the rainbow jersey on, I will start all the races with the aim of winning or making a good classification."
Evenepoel was awarded this Friday with the Belgian sportsman of the year title, where he beat Wout van Aert and speed skater Bart Swings. “The danger is that expectations are now even higher. People also need to realise that I can't win all the races,” Evenepoel said at the event.
“If I ride a top three in the Giro this year, I will be equally satisfied with that. I want to get the maximum out of it and then I will be satisfied. This year I just want to enjoy that rainbow jersey," he concluded.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- The conditions there were absolutely heavenly. No wonder that Vanthourenhout was literally sucked into the ground. I think Mason and Wyseure are very similar types of riders. We've seen that when Vanthourenhout has been in a similar position to where Mason was, and Wyseure has had the legs, he's been able to power his way back. But that's not quite possible when Mason is putting out more power in front.
Rafionain-Glas11-11-2026 - What a win! It's been been so long in the waiting but I'm so glad for Cameron that he's finally got that victory. Sad to see Brand crash out like that. It didn't look too bad initially but there was clearly something very wrong. It could be like van Aert's last yearRafionain-Glas11-11-2026
- since you called pidcock pogi's BIG RIVAL in another article a few days ago ... i guess adding ciccone to the mix makes him almost unbeatable, no?Ketterechts11-11-2026
- 🤣🤣🤣what a headlineabstractengineer11-11-2026
- When you have four or five guys who are defined leaders of teams that are winning races or at least placing highly in big races, a lot of guys who are racing will not be seen as assets to those teams. If they can't be part of the program then they are let go. I remember back if you won a single stage of the Tour and maybe had a good classic result you would have a cemented place on a team. That is not the case now in the era we live in because the top guys are so good and their goals are so defined. It's bad in a way for them but good for us as fans.awp11-11-2026
- Lots of people seem fed up of Pogi's phenomenal dominance, but I've been drawn into watching professional cycling again (after the Armstrong doping era, that's when I stopped) because of it. I don't think I'd be as interested if it wasn't for Pogi. People call it boring, it’s the exact opposite for me, I will never ever tire of watching absolute greatness in action. He is the greatest athlete this planet has ever produced. Ad acta!!!PogiSloFans11-11-2026
- dfsdfsdfsdfwajohe447911-11-2026
- I have no sympathy for Ayuso or the situations he gets himself into. He was a traitor in the UAE team, he hated Pogi and never wanted to work for him. He always had excuses why he couldn't perform. No riders in the team liked his character and did not approve the kind of person he was on a deep, moral, or personal level. I just don't care about him. Ad acta.PogiSloFans11-11-2026
- Great response! I love the article also. Interesting to see which "Legends" will be covered. There are a few out there :-)
DareDevil11-11-2026 - This is one of the reasons why Ineos is failing, G can comment on his pod but why has he not attracted talent from the peloton to Ineos. He has lot of inside track. Also ratcliffe handling of Man United is also disastrous.abstractengineer11-11-2026
Loading
Write a comment