Remco Evenepoel proved once again on Saturday afternoon, why many consider the Belgian the greatest time trial rider in the world today. Having already claimed a world title, a Belgian title, a European title and stages of all three Grand Tours against the clock, Evenepoel added an Olympic gold medal to his palmares.
Taking the win by a relatively comfortable 15 seconds from Italian powerhouse Filippo Ganna, Evenepoel backed up his feat of becoming the first Belgian since 1981 to finish on the final podium of the Tour de France with the Olympic gold. On Saturday, August 3rd, the Soudal - Quick-Step leader will get a chance to take another gold in the men's road race, where he, along with compatriot Wout van Aert, who took bronze in the individual time trial, will start as two of the outright favourites for victory.
Following his stunning Olympic title win however, Evenepoel was greeted by Belgian royalty. Both King Filip and Queen Mathilde had made the short trip across the border to Paris to watch their countrymen in action and warmly congratulated both Evenepoel and Van Aert in the immediate aftermath.
“A unique moment,” Evenepoel recalls in quotes collected by HLN, admitting that he actually broke royal protocol in the brief meeting with his king. “I kept asking questions, even though that’s not really allowed. (laughs) ‘Did you enjoy yourself?’, ‘Was it cool?’, ‘Are you proud of us?’... And he answered them too.”
Slightly more aware of his surrounding and the company his was keeping, Van Aert resisted the urge to follow Evenepoel. "I was really thinking that I wasn't allowed to ask them anything," the Team Visma | Lease a Bike rider admits, although he does note how the king and queen were notably "very relaxed" in the meeting. "In any case, it was a very pleasant introduction."
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