At the age of 22, Remco Evenepoel became the new road world champion. Tom Boonen understands all too well what it is like to wear the rainbow jersey as a young pro. Belgium last saw a champion from their country in 2012, so it’s safe to say the media will not leave Evenepoel in peace even for a second.
"Someone should warn Evenepoel about what's coming at him because it's going to be crazy," Boonen told Het Laatste Nieuws. "The Vuelta was wow, but this is going to have a lot more international resonance," Boonen said.
He went on to describe his experience with media after winning the World Championship and he says it is not easy. "The year I became world champion, in 2005, was the busiest in my life. I was 24 and had won Classics and Monuments, but suddenly I was an international star overnight. Remco had often been asked for newspapers, magazines and TV shows in recent years, but that was a Belgian phenomenon. Now foreign countries are also going to pull on his sleeve, everyone is going to want a piece of him."
Boonen advises Evenepoel to "stay away from Schepdaal and its surroundings as much as possible". He further advised him to go for a short break with family and friends in Spain to enjoy some peace, "He has a permanent place in Spain to train, right? In his case, I would spend the winter there. He's going to find much more peace there than in Belgium. Make sure you have some family and friends around you and try to isolate yourself."
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