Remco Evenpoel starts Tour de Romandie with a good prologue: "It was necessary to show a good recovery after Liège-Bastogne-Liège"

It's not a victory for time trial world champion Remco Evenpoel in the opening prologue of Tour de Romandie. But his team Soudal - Quick-Step didn't expect him to shine on a techincal 3.5 km course either. After all, this 8th place after first day of racing is a nice starting point into the rest of this week.

"He didn't take any risks along the way. Everything went as he had planned in his head. We had discussed that beforehand, so as not to take any unnecessary risks. It was necessary to show a good recovery after Liège-Bastogne-Liège. And I think that is the case," says Lodewyck. "The key now is to recover well and see that everyone gets up fresh tomorrow."

Evenepoel rode with two regular wheels on Tuesday. Was that a conscious choice? “We gave everyone the choice to choose. On this course it is important to feel good and safe on the bike. The fact that he rode with two regular wheels did not make the difference between winning or losing, I think.”  

For Evenepoel, his performance in Romandie is a boost, especially after all the fuss that arose after the statements of cycling journalist Ruben Van Gucht and the subsequent reaction of the Belgian rider. How does Lodewyck view this 'commotion'? "We are here for the race and not for side issues. You have to be able to let go of something like that once you are on the bike," he says.