"The Giro-Tour double has been cut" - Evenepoel begins to shape 2023 calendar

The 2023 Giro d'Italia route has been revealed and includes extensive time-trialing kilometers, well suited for World Champion Remco Evenepoel. There will be a massive amount of climbing in the final week however, and the Belgian has given his first impressions on his calendar.

"The Giro-Tour double has been cut in the meantime, but we are not going to tell you for the time being," Evenepoel answered upon being asked about his Grand Tour of preference for 2023. “I can only say that I am very happy with my program. It is calm in the beginning and then busier towards the end. The opposite of this season actually. But what, where and when: we will leave that unknown for a while.”

Evenepoel and Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team have for some time hinted that the Belgian will return to the Giro d'Italia in 2023, before eyeing the Tour de France debut in 2024. This was already the plan before the Vuelta a Espana, where he took a strong and breakthrough Grand Tour win.

After his victory at the World Championships however, rumours have begun circulating on a possible Tour debut in 2023. A decision has not yet been made, as he himself confirmed, however the signing of Jan Hirt, and the confidence put in Fabio Jakobsen indicate heavily that the initial plan - Evenepoel into Giro, Jakobsen into Tour and Merlier into Vuelta - will remain.

“But the quality of the races will be higher on average. That will logically be a lot of WorldTour”, he continued. “That will determine the form, but of course I am someone who has a very hard time hiding. Riding along just to ride, that is not in my nature.” The Tour de France presentation on the 27th of October will clear out the minds of many.

The Belgian has also talked about how he will enter the season cautious - perhaps wise, knowing that replicating the 2022 success will be an incredibly hard task. “At the moment I am still too much on my cloud to think negatively. In my head I do prepare myself for the possibility that it could be a difficult year, in which everything goes wrong. If so, we will deal with it as best we can. Crucially: just don't care," he concluded.