Remco Evenepoel blasts Vuelta a Espana team time-trial: "You really don't see sh*t"

Remco Evenepoel and Soudal Quick-Step finished the opening time trial of the Vuelta a España fourth in the standings, 6 seconds behind Team DSM-Firmenich. The Belgian, despite making big time gains on some of his rivals, arrived at the finish very mad and clearly criticizing the decision to race this stage.

On reaching the finish line Louis Vervaeke made his opinion of what they had experienced clear to journalists, complaining bitterly about the conditions of the stage: "It's super dangerous, ridiculous, we're not monkeys in a circus," he said visibly upset. He named the dangerous conditions as the reason for the criticism. Not only did the team have to compete in soaking wet roads in the first day of the race, but with the clouds rolling in it was almost night for the Belgian team during their effort.

The truth is that no one could have imagined that we would have a day like this in Barcelona in the middle of August. We have gone from more than thirty degrees to a day of heavy rain and overcast skies that made it get dark earlier and provoked the complaints of the always temperamental Evenepoel. "You really don't see shit", he shouted into the camera. “Yes, and if you don't say anything about it, nothing will be done about it."

He has nevertheless made a 26-second gain on the Jumbo-Visma riders, who were also hampered by a puncture from Jonas Vingegaard. But that was not a reason to keep quiet on the very clear issues: “You can't change the rain, but you can change the time. It's light here all day and then we ride in the dark. We are already pushing the limit as a pro rider, we are already taking risks to win and these conditions are really ridiculous to race in. It was very dark and scary. Everyone will criticize me again; but that's the way it is. The organization must think about our safety.”