Remco Evenepoel uploads first 99,5km ride on bike after his illness: "Still too early to do 100"

Remco Evenepoel made his first training ride on Thursday since his Giro d'Italia was brought to an abrupt end following a positive Covid test. The world champion completed a training session of exactly 99.5 kilometers around Ninove.

In total, Evenepoel spent more than three hours on the bike during his training ride from his hometown of Schepdaal. On Tuesday, the leader of Soudal Quick-Step, received a green light to resume training. First he had to undergo the necessary heart tests.

“My early end at the Giro is certainly one of the biggest setbacks in my still very short career,” Evenepoel said earlier this week. “Leaving the race with coronavirus was a very abrupt end to what could have been a great story. Six months of full preparation just for this race. Sacrifices, long days in the rain, long periods away from home. Everything went according to plan, but that's how sport goes.”

Evenepoel had to retire from Giro d'Italia, where he won in individual time trails twice, on the first rest day after showing mild symptoms of the illness followed by a positive test. Just a few days, four of his teammates had to leave the race having returned a positive test as well. With Davide Ballerini's DNS ahead of stage 16, Soudal - Quick-Step continues with just two men in what was supposed to be the peak of their GC season.