Remco with his daily post #TDF2024 stage recovery drink @ketoneaid Ketone Ester. Recovery is almost everything at Le Tour 👍 Photo: @BeelWout
“Remco is someone who knows exactly who he can and cannot handle" - Soudal - Quick-Step praises Evenepoel's maturity as Tour de France podium looks likely
CyclingSaturday, 13 July 2024 at 20:30
On his Tour de France debut in 2024, Remco Evenepoel has acquitted himself much better than many were expecting. Despite some time loss to Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard on stage 14, the Soudal - Quick-Step leader sits 3rd overall after 14 stages, with a comfortable near four minute lead over 4th placed Joao Almeida.
"It was a good day," insists Soudal - Quick-Step's Klaas Lodewyck in a post-stage interview with Het Nieuwsblad, despite the Belgian's time loss to his two main Maillot Jaune rivals. "There was a killer pace all day. We realized pretty quickly that UAE Team Emirates wanted to go for the stage. I think we got the most out of this stage and got some extra bonus on the chasers, so that was good."
“In the end we just said that we had to adapt to the circumstances of the race, so when we saw that UAE wanted to go for the stage, it was just a matter of protecting Remco as long as possible, so that he certainly didn’t catch any wind and always sat well at the front on every climb to stay out of the danger zone," continues Lodewyck's assessement. "He then had to ride that final climb as quickly as possible without completely exploding.”
In thee end, only Pogacar and Vingegaard managed better than Evenepoel, making sure the podium looks very likely on Tour de France debut. “Remco is someone who knows exactly who he can and cannot handle, you can see that in his time trial, which he almost always completes to perfection. He really knows what kind of power is feasible and what is not. We now have to estimate well in the Tour what is feasible," continues Lodewyck. "If you are the strongest in the Vuelta and you can do a little more than someone else, you can sometimes force something and take risks, but here it was clear that after that very steep section you really had to find your own pace or you would completely destroy yourself.”
With stage 15 however, more challenges are posed. “Tomorrow will be fast from the start. For us it might be good that UAE wins that stage today and takes a bit more lead, that might make them a bit less nervous. We especially have to make sure that the guys behind Remco don’t join the breakaway and then finish that finale as well as possible. We are very happy with our Tour so far. Now we just have to get through tomorrow well and then have another well-deserved rest day,” concludes Lodewyck.
claps 4visitors 1070
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- i love the spirit of any of these younger guys who will say out loud I WANT TO TRY TO FOLLOW MATHIEU. they know plenty well what that means. vanthourenhout, eli, lars and company have kinda been beaten into submission by years trying and failing to keep up with mvdp. i feel for them, seriously. but it’s great to see younger riders show up and take their turn, full of hope.OCexile28-12-2024
- The nice thing about World Tour cycling is it never goes the way you think it ill, haha. Tadej breaking away so far out in the Worlds? Remco doubling up in Paris?
ScottG27-12-2024 - Pretty classy comments by Jonas. Makes me like him even more.ScottG27-12-2024
- MVDP is simply a cross "machine" - amazing to watch.ScottG27-12-2024
- yes, Jonas said that he had lost a little muscle mass. In the other hand, also Tadej changed his physique: thin, more lighter than ever, legs and glutes well defined (finally, no more junior legs). Both were more lighter than ever but Pogi could put more muscle in legs and glutes.
maria2024202427-12-2024 - He can keep contending for Vuelta podium spots. A lot would need to go wrong for others and everything right for him to get on the Giro podium. He'll only be on the TdF podium if he's becomes a podium presenter.Veganpotter27-12-2024
- I like that, mind if I use it from now on? Better than using his name which always gets me worried about Google hits and giving him the excuse he was bound to behave the way he did from the derived verb.Mistermaumau27-12-2024
- This website needs clicks so just vacuums up what is available and loves anything that creates discussion.Mistermaumau27-12-2024
- Their battles are only interesting or special when both are in good shape and unfortunately it’s been a few years since that was last the case, road cycling tends to put an end to most side careers, MVDP still being a rare exception.Mistermaumau27-12-2024
- Hope it’s not his coz’ that’s no longer so stylish except in dubaious (sic) circles, not sure traditionally brought up people realise that yet but one day it will filter down.Mistermaumau27-12-2024