"Stage wins are the main goals" at Vuelta a Espana, Remco Evenepoel states

Remco Evenepoel will be a headliner for the upcoming Vuelta a Espana and his ambitions remain somewhat a mystery. He himself has came out now to shift the pressure away from a GC tilt, affirming that stage wins are the priority.

“If I can go out of the Vuelta with a stage win or two, then you can speak about a good Vuelta. The main goal is to win a stage, and everything GC-wise that will come will be extra," Evenepoel said in a recent interview. "The start of the Vuelta is mainly with the focus on stage wins, especially stage 10 in the time trial and the team time trial in stage 1.”

Evenepoel will be making his debut in the Spanish Grand Tour. Having proven his capabilities as a time-trialist and classics rider, the Belgian has also shown glimpses of brilliancy in stage-races. With his climbing abilities clear, it is a natural step in his career to test himself in the Grand Tours, although his lack of a good preparation for the Giro d'Italia last year put a dent on these hopes. A clear plan was marked, and after focusing on the classics earlier this year, the finale of the season revolves around the Vuelta a Espana.

“GC-wise, I cannot say anything, because it can go wrong on any day. Stage wins are the main goals," he said from Livigno where he is currently training at altitude. His Clasica San Sebastian performance showed he was in very good form, and he has specifically kept that as his only build-up race, as he has stated he wants to have a conservative approach so as to have his best legs in the final week.

His focus in climbing training and recent weight loss also confirm that his priority is indeed in the mountains, which contradicts his most recent claim that the time-trials will be the main aim. No doubt in a move to shift pressure away, Evenepoel is trying to fly under the radar as much as possible into the Vuelta, where some go as far to calling him a main contender for the race's overall classification.

With the likes of Jai Hindley, Richard Carapaz, Simon Yates and many more, the Belgian will have tough competition to face in the mountains over the coming weeks.