Remco Evenepoel keen to show he's closing the gap on Vingegaard & Pogacar: "Hopefully in the future I can go above them"

Remco Evenepoel is widely viewed as one of the four leading Grand Tour contenders in the current peloton alongside Jonas Vingegaard, Tadej Pogacar and Primoz Roglic. At the upcoming Criterium du Dauphine, the Soudal - Quick-Step leader will get a chance to prove himself against two of these, with a view to the Tour de France in mind.

Twelve months ago, Evenepoel was step below both Vingegaard and Pogacar at the Dauphine and the Tour de France, although there were plenty of positives in a podium finish on debut at the French Grand Tour. This year though, the Belgian is confident he has got closer, as Evenepoel says himself in conversation with TNT Sports.

"Yeah, because I think my shape now is better than last year at this time," begins the 25-year-old. "Also, I have the experience of riding my first Tour. Maybe that will bring a bit more pressure but, of course, I will also recognise some moments in the race and that will only help my end result."

"I think the gap [to Pogacar and Vingegaard] was there last year and I think this year the main goal should be to close the gap, not completely maybe, but to come closer," Evenepoel continues his analysis. "And hopefully one day in the future I can go above them, which will be very difficult, but that has to be my ambition for my career."

Evenepoel has made no secret of the fact that he dreams of ending the wait for a Belgian Tour de France win, but whether or not 2025 will be his year, the Quick-Step leader remains unsure. "Maybe for one day. If I don't lose any stupid time in the first four stages, and then I can make a good TT result, then there are a lot of possibilities to get my first yellow jersey," he concludes. "And then, of course, we have to try and defend it. There's no 'must', but I know there's a big chance if I do a good TT. I think that would be very nice and a nice reward for all the times I've been going through [with injury]."