Soudal - Quick-Step staff full of praise for Remco Evenepoel: "He comes out of this Tour not only with a third place, but also with extra popularity"

Tour de France podium, white jersey and a stage. There were all the reasons to celebrate at Soudal - Quick-Step in Nice. Remco Evenepoel did exactly what the team hoped he could do, losing only to the two winners of last five Tour editions. On top of that, teammate Mikel Landa added a fifth place overall.

"If at the start of the Tour, someone told me that we would win a stage, that we would be on the podium, that we would have the white jersey and above all this popularity, I think we would all have signed up for it, especially Patrick," rejoiced media manager Alessandro Tegner at Cyclism'Actu.

What about the persistent transfer rumours? "He is under contract with us," Tegner simply reminded. The publicity a Tour podium also helped build new business contacts. "I don't know what it will change for the future, but I can already say that it has changed a lot during the Tour. We have already had more contacts than usual. Every day, we were on the podium, every day, we had visibility. I think we worked well on that. From now on, we will see what happens. But I too am curious to see if the popularity of Remco Evenepoel and the team will grow after this, and in what way."

During the Tour, many non-believers had to admit that Remco can really compete for Grand tour victories. But even more importantly, according to Tegner, they have discovered that the 24-year-old is actually a cool guy. "He is an extraordinary rider and guy. Everyone says he is the first human on this Tour, I think it is true. He raced well, conservatively, and that is what had to be done. From a marketing and media point of view, he managed the situation well. He was himself, always available. He comes out of this Tour not only with a third place, but also with a popularity that has grown considerably over the three weeks. Now, everyone knows the character and personality of Remco."