Remco Evenepoel ready for Tour de France mountains: "With the weight of the Dauphine I would never be able to follow the top riders in the Tour"

Remco Evenepoel has had to overcome a few obstacles ahead of his Tour de Frace debut but all signs point towards him being ready. The Soudal - Quick-Step rider has successfully managed to control the expectations that up until a few years ago haunted his Grand Tour appearances, and enters the French race with open arms to what may come.

The Belgian rider was sick last week however. “I was really sick. It was no lie. Many riders came out of the Dauphiné with a cold. Some even with something worse. I was lucky that it never really broke out for me, until I trained in bad weather for a few days after the Dauphiné and it happened anyway," Evenepoel said in conversation with Het Nieuwsblad. “I was never super sick, but I did have a slightly elevated heart rate. I was really sick. Honestly: I would have much rather ridden the Belgian national championships."

Some argued that the illness was an excuse not to make the trip to Belgium - as Belgium made the appearance at the national's mandatory except for cases of injury and illness - so as to have a few more days to prepare for the Tour, but Evenepoel refuses it. After the Dauphiné, where he won the time-trial but finished seventh in the overall classification, he spent some time at altitude in Isola 2000 - where Tadej Pogacar and UAE Team Emirates were also based since early June.

“It was great. We started and finished with bad weather, which was of course less. But in general I was able to train well and take good care of myself," he said, also sharing that he has lost weight when comparing to the Dauphiné where he struggled on the climbs. "I really did my best and achieved what I was looking for. It was also necessary. With the weight of the Dauphiné I would never be able to follow the top riders in the Tour. I had work, but I succeeded. That is positive.”

Evenepoel will have the support of Mikel Landa, Ilan van Wilder and Mattia Cattaneo in the mountains whilst experienced rouleurs such as Yves Lampaert, Casper Pedersen and late selection Gianni Moscon will protect him on the flat days and who knows, provide a platform to attack the gravel stage. “I think that – given the resources we have – we will start with the best possible team. Unfortunately, Mattia Cattaneo is ill and cannot join us. That is certainly a great loss, but Louis Vervaeke may be able to take on his work," he continnues.

"Our team is very stable and experienced. There is a bit of everything in it: Yves Lampaert, Gianni Moscon and Casper Pedersen as rouleurs and men to work. And with Mikel Landa, Jan Hirt and Ilan Van Wilder there are three pure climbers."