Remco Evenepoel dreams of Giro dell'Emilia victory against Pogacar: "He hasn't won here yet, so he'll be extra motivated today"

Remco Evenepoel took to the start of the Giro dell'Emilia this morning with good form and motivation; and next to a Tadej Pogacar in rainbow gear. The Soudal - Quick-Step faces competition including Primoz Roglic, Enric Mas and many others this Saturday but is also thinking of the victory atop San Luca.

“I like coming here, yes, especially when it’s not raining,” Evenepoel told Het Laatste Nieuws in the morning. “The fans are always here in large numbers. That’s great. Everything is fine with me too. I’m just going to do my best today, that’s all I can do. I want to make the most of it and ride three good races to be at my best in the Tour of Lombardy.”

Ultimately the goal is Il Lombardia, and whilst Evenepoel may not have the pure climbing form that he's had this summer at the Tour de France, he certainly is expected to feature among the best in the Italian one-day race that sees plenty quality and pure climbers. It will be an important race to understand his form in a very hard route ahead of the final monument of the season; featuring five ascents of the 2.1-kilometer climb that averages 9% in quick succession.

“It’s always challenging here, but with Pogacar it’s also special racing. You never know what to expect, especially after last week. He hasn't won here yet, so he'll be extra motivated today," he concluded.