Remco Evenepoel savors Olympic Games triumph in Paris: "It is truly unique"

Remco Evenepoel had in the past won the time-trial World Championships, European Championships, Belgian national championships and time-trials at all three Grand Tours. Now, at age 24, he has taken the final achievement in the discipline which was a title in the Olympic Games.

“I have few words. This is very special. It is truly unique. First the Tour and then this on top of that. Where did I win it? No idea. I actually had the feeling from the start that I was really bad on the road. Believe it or not, I really can't complain," Evenepoel told Sporza. “At an intermediate point five kilometers from the finish I was way ahead. So they told me from the car not to take any more crazy risks in the bends. Here in the final straight I tried to enjoy it a bit. They told me then that I had won. I tried to ride the same pace all the time, without really taking risks in the bends. I did take them pretty well. Fortunately, my legs were good.”

Evenepoel was the first over the first intermediate point, taking 7 seconds on Filippo Ganna. He avoided going too hard on the corners because he had seen many men and women crash on the course. “By looking at the women, we realized that it was really slippery. I don’t think anyone, except the guys who fell, took any risks. I’m not the rider who wants to take the most risks in time trials anyway. It was slippery anyway, in the park with the orange asphalt there was a nasty part.”

Ultimately, after a tiring Tour de France, the Belgian managed to find his best legs once again at the perfect timing: “Yesterday morning I felt great again for the first time. It went well in training, it went well this morning. This morning the feeling that I could win really came into my head. It’s great what we’re doing, sharing the podium with Wout [Van Aert] and Filippo [Ganna] is special. We didn’t go to Paris with the Tour, but Paris came to me.”

Evenepoel has conquered what he came to get in Paris. The Belgian road race still follows where he will be a big contender for victory again, but he will race without pressure. “That wasn’t there after the Tour anyway. Everything that comes with it now is extra. This only gives us both motivation."

"The Games can’t go wrong anymore, we’re going to give it another go. It’s a call to Belgium to go the extra mile in all disciplines. It’s the end of the series of time trial championships. I’ve ticked off everything now. Very special, this is the cherry on top of a very nice time trial cake.”