Remco Evenepoel congratulates former colleague and football star Cyril Ngonge: "It gives me pleasure to see you fulfill your childhood dreams"

Before Remco Evenepoel made the transition to professional cycling, he was a very talented soccer player in the youth ranks. For years he played in the youth training of the Belgian soccer club RSC Anderlecht.

One of his then teammates was Cyril Ngonge, who now plays for top Italian club SSC Napoli. In a video message, Evenepoel expressed his pride at the development of his friend and former teammate.

"Hi, Cyrilou! How are you?" opens Evenepoel in the video shown to Ngonge by RTBF. "I'm sending this message just to say that I'm immensely proud of you. On your great achievements at Napoli and with the Red Devils. These are things we dreamed of together as children. It gives me pleasure to see you fulfill your childhood dreams. I hope to see you again very soon. Maybe one day in Italy? For example, when I have a race near there. Or I'll come and watch one of your matches. Say hi to your family too. I think they are very proud of you too, just like my whole family for that matter."

In the video, Evenepoel's words can be seen visibly affecting Napoli's 24-year-old striker. "Unbelievable, unbelievable! This releases a lot of emotions. Remco has meant a lot to me. We were almost always in the team together, until he moved to the youth of PSV. As a child, he sometimes spent the night with me and I with him. So I am also close with his parents," Ngonge responded emotionally.

"It's a message that touches me a lot. It's nice to know that he still follows me as I follow him. It also gives me great pleasure to see all that he is doing in cycling. The way he is changing the sport and becoming one of the greatest riders.... He already had that mental toughness when he was a soccer player. But to then live up to it in another sport is unprecedented. Chapeau. I can only respect this great gentleman. He is more than welcome to my family. I hope he comes by one day for a match, of the Belgian national team or of Napoli."