"Remco has a hard time getting rid of that" - Has Tom Boonen found what Remco Evenepoel must correct to improve in 2025?
Cycling
Remco Evenepoel enjoyed a remarkable 2024 season, solidifying his status as one of the brightest stars in cycling. The 23-year-old Belgian finished third at the Tour de France, on his debut at cycling’s biggest race, and went on to win double gold at the Olympic Games in Paris. However, not everyone in the Belgian cycling world is fully convinced by Evenepoel's approach, including six-time Tour stage winner and 2005 World Champion Tom Boonen.
Speaking on the Stamcafé Koers, Boonen shared his thoughts on Evenepoel’s competitive mindset, drawing parallels to his own experience during his illustrious career. Boonen recounted an incident from the 2009 Tour of Flanders, where his former teammate Filippo Pozzato closely marked him throughout the race, effectively neutralising Boonen’s chances of victory.
“He really fucked me over that day,” Boonen recalled, before reflecting on the situation with perspective. “I get paid to win, he gets paid to win. And he might also get paid to lose me. If he gets an order from his boss, I understand that. I might have done the same.”
Boonen used this story to critique the Soudal - Quick-Step rider's tendency to perceive others' tactics as targeted aggression. “That is sometimes the problem with Remco. Remco has a hard time getting rid of that. ‘They are riding against me.’ No, they are riding to win. And because they want to win, you have to lose.”
Boonen explained that being able to set aside such frustrations is a crucial skill in professional cycling. “I could do that. I could separate that. You have a competition, from start to finish, and then it's over. Everyone has a different interest. You have to be able to set that aside. That has been a strength, that ability to put things into perspective.”
While acknowledging that handling intense competition can be overwhelming, Boonen also admitted that even he struggled at times. “Although I have sometimes rushed myself on screen. Sometimes it’s just too much. But you have to be able to handle that.”
Just in
Subscribe to our Daily Newsletter today!
Popular news
Latest comments
- Call it how you want, in order to win which matters to him, even if it’s for the team as lead-out, he has to and tries to be in top shape 10 out of 12 months, whether that’s a bunch of peaks, a couple of prolonged peaks or just that his general level is so good he can win anytime without peaking is a new discussion.Jumpyjohn08-01-2025
- I think he’s right and mental attitude is one of the biggest factors at elite level, especially over 3 weeks.Jumpyjohn08-01-2025
- Enforcing cease and desist isn't working. The site is still live (8 Jan 13:55 CET)leodis08-01-2025
- You’re both right but also both (me too) biased by this endless indoctrination through the expectations of others (no cyclist is worth mentioning without a tdf legacy) and sorry Fred but the part about him having to win the whole thing is misguided, Cavendish is venerated by most and he might not have even reached 50th in the how many editions he did (about double Merckxs). As rightly said Mathieu rides for HIMSELF (aside obligations) take it or leave it, I really don’t think he (and most others, even Cav or Pog) lie around in bed at night worrying or strategising about how to cement a place in history. We are lucky to witness a period where some of the best cyclists are (aside from money) motivated in the right way, you can often see in the authentic way they celebrate crossing the line after a huge effort, MVDPs are some of the best, 100% dedication, my favourite was the communion with his grandfather when he won that stage, it was visibly (worth seeing again if available) so powerful, I even think the only reason he tried the TdF at all (he’d never really shown any interest personally and I’m pretty sure it was a business “obligation” was in hommage to his grandfather who meant so much to him. Once done I think he realised he doesn’t enjoy it (should he (any of us actually) force himself to do a job he isn’t enjoying?) and saw no more reason to continue but being open he accepted to try something new, lead-out man and did it admirably. His riding career has now probably “peaked” and he’ll want to focus on those things personally still important before it’s too late and leads to regrets. I am sure he’ll regret his luck/carelessness at Olympics more than anything TdF related and among future goals, that will be his number 1 rectification target and sorry for those TdF obsessors (who often watch nothing else all year) but for many the Olympics are more important than eg the Tour, no matter what the majority of cycling thinks, and they have that right.Mistermaumau08-01-2025
- To MVDP, even if he wins 10 stages of the TDF, if he can't be overall champion (GC), he still loses.. so he thinks he has nothing to gain. He'd rather win a hundred minor races than frustrate himself trying to win the grandest race of them all. The mindset of a winner, you say? Maybe, but I don't think so. Nevertheless, he's a great cyclist. Monuments and classics, one-day races are his thing. He can ride a one-day 300 km race and win it, but a 3,500 km race spread over 21 days? Forget it.. he can win a stage or two, wear the yellow jersey for a day or two, (no mean feat, by the way) and finish in 50th place just the same, not even good enough for a podium, and he doesn't like it. To him, it's a waste of time.FredMan08-01-2025
- i’m with you on this… ALL IN for the xco world’s. a legacy of World Champion in four disciplines. that’s one for the ages…OCexile08-01-2025
- i’ve said before that i worry for mathieu’s place in history because he only has one tdf stage. cycling pundits place SO much emphasis off tdf wins that many of them still rate wva as superior to van der poel, which can ONLY be based on wout’s 9 tour wins (which impressively DO come over the whole spectrum of tdf parcours). as a fan of mvdp i wish he’d dedicate a couple years to racking up 5 or 6 more stage wins. that said, mathieu matches to his own drummer. he gets bored easily. and ultimately he’s gonna decide all in his own what does and don’t capture his interest and imagination. that’s one of the things i like BEST about him, so if he’s done with the Tour then that’s that, au revoir…OCexile08-01-2025
- I reported this in March of 2024. There was a bogus Facebook ad.davbott08-01-2025
- Does that mean that the Rapho jersey that I just purchased is a fake?
santiagobenites07-01-2025 - Utter rubish, if you think he peaks over 12 times trains, races, rests in 1 year you are living in cuckoo land.Senna196007-01-2025