Remco Evenepoel recalls discovering Giro d'Italia's mountainous route: "I wondered if I had made the right choice"

Remco Evenepoel had a clear route of preparation towards his Tour de France debut, and that path led him to the Giro d'Italia this year. He recalls the moment he learnt about the Giro d'Italia route earlier this winter and his plans for the Tour de France and Olympic Games in 2024.

“We decided to go to the Giro this year, but when I saw that after all there are more mountains in the Corsa Rosa than in the 2023 Tour de France, I wondered if I had made the right choice," Evenepoel joked in an interview with L'Équipe. The Belgian has started his season with a modest performance at the Vuelta a San Juan where he rode to a seventh place in the overall classification.

The Belgian will follow a calendar of stage-races mostly towards the Giro d'Italia where he will battle the likes of Primož Roglič and Geraint Thomas. The route is favourable to those who can time-trial well, however the mountains of the final week will put everyone to the test.

Only then in the following year does the World Champion aim at new goals: "For the long-term future, obviously I would like to face my first Tour in 2024, but it will also depend on the program of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and if this will be compatible with the Grand Bouclé. I'm already thinking about it now, even if there's still a lot of time left," he tells.