Remco Evenepoel's father advocates big changes on rider protection from Covid-19: "Something has to change, absolutely"
Cycling
A lot of discussion has been ongoing in the background, as the Giro d'Italia quickly became a race of survival as most fear Covid-19 at this point of the race, and it can be turned on it's head in a split second. Remco Evenepoel's father believes strict measures have to be applied once again to prevent what has happened to the World Champion.
“We can't blame anyone for this, but it was actually a shame how things went. The organization, the press… everyone. When you see that at the start of the Giro, it was a shame. Everyone has to do their job, but things go wrong in this way,” Patrick Evenepoel told Het Laatste Nieuws.
The lack of masks and rider protection in media events mostly has been pointed out, with calls also from different figures within cycling to apply measures to limit contact with crowds on the road. Soudal - Quick-Step have not only lost Evenepoel who has spent his season preparing for the Corsa Rosa whilst he was leading the race, but five riders in total which leave the team virtually isolated having only raced half of the Giro.
“It seems as if the riders are puppets, playthings. Adrie (Van der Poel, ed.) sent me a message. According to him, something must be done, a statement must be made. When you get to the line, you see everyone running to put the microphone under a rider's nose first. However, the riders also have to do their job. What are we all doing?"
The amount of Covid-19 cases is not expected to lower through the upcoming days, as it began to rise in recent days. The outbreak is clearly spreading through the peloton and teams have begun applying their own measures to limit the chances of being affected as much as possible. However the health of riders is also at stake quite a lot, and Evenepoel senior prioritizes the safety of those who are part of the peloton.
“Something has to change, absolutely. It doesn't stop. The danger for the riders is that it will affect their heart muscle. We want to avoid a case like Colbrelli. If Remco is in the red for another three days, the consequences could be major. And then it's just the Giro, right? It's our child. Or someone else's child, husband or father. That is the most important," he concluded.
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- wtf dudemij07-11-2026
- big rival … ridiculous.Ketterechts07-11-2026
- It would be great if the World Champion's jersey could be rotated among McNulty, Simmons, and Jorgenson. They threaded the needle perfectly. If each hadn't done exactly what he did, exactly when he did it, the race would have gone to one of the more heralded superstars. That said, how nice that this humble and hardworking guy gets his moment in the sun.
MarkFour07-11-2026 - This is a really interesting idea, which, if well prepared could even be very successful. Very little money needs to be involved for a first season and any success could lead to rapid interest from sponsors.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Hmmm, you seem to have a very convenient black and white view of things. Perhaps you haven’t been around much to discover how complex problems can become over time with people who know how to control, manipulate (or worse) others so gradually or subtly that you arrive at an irresolvable situation before you realise. This is how many inconveniences get introduced to the young, naïve, passionate or “desperate”, knowing they are not armed, protected or strong enough to defend themselves once it’s too late. Why do you think omerta culture is so widespread, why do you think so many people continue to go through so many awful things in life that others can’t understand anyone getting into? Life may be far more jolly for you but you would do well to understand (or reflect more on) the real world to refrain from being so quick to criticise those in a hard spot that may have genuine reason for speaking out.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Seriously do you think when somebody gets into a serious accident, the ambulance is called by the hurt person?🤦 there is always a buddy system in place for a risky job. police , firefighters etc so that if someone gets hurt, the other call that in.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I get the point totally. We live in the snowflake society where some riders forget they are getting paid to ride and get results. When they have a few issues they try to look outside of the real issue instead of themselves. It odd so many of the team are making no complaints and getting on with their job. If you do not like what you do find another job simples. Tough love as my mum would say.paultryan200207-11-2026
- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
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Giro d’Italia: Week 1 Not the ending we were looking for, but join us and @EvenepoelRemco on our journey from the hard work at our training camp in Tenerife, that led to #Giro maglia rosa ecstasy, and unfortunately, rest day agony. youtube.com/watch?v=WWIG8P…
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