Advantage Wolfpack 💪🐺 🌈 World Champion @EvenepoelRemco was delighted with Stage 1 of @uae_tour as @soudalquickstep took the Stage win and an early GC advantage 🤩 _______ 🇦🇪 #UAETour
"The standings already in a fold? Well, that's relative" - Remco Evenepoel does not believe he's sealed UAE Tour GC win after great opening day
CyclingMonday, 20 February 2023 at 15:01
Remco Evenepoel has dealt a blow to UAE Team Emirates on the first stage of the UAE Tour, but naturally he does not consider the overall classification sealed. Nevertheless, the time gained today will be crucial.
“The standings already in a fold? Well, that's relative, isn't it? One minute, that's nice to start with. That is great," Evenepoel told Het Nieuwsblad. "We have already left all the men of UAE behind, they will probably start the mountain stages very excited. But the three of us immediately rode on with a view to the ranking, so not to save energy in the back of our minds.”
The race split immediately in the opening kilometers. Evenepoel knew of the possibility, as he tells: “From kilometer zero I was in front. We knew it would be a nervous start. I was allowed to start at the front because we had the team presentation last. That turned out to be an advantage in the end, although it took a while before we were gone."
He was joined by Bert van Lerberghe and eventual stage winner Tim Merlier, and several other groups from behind. "It was a bit annoying that the wind was against, because that's how the others came back. It was not bad for us because we quickly wanted to set up a second echelon. That turned out to be the right range," he continued.
However, in the finale the trio once again stirred up chaos and a smaller split, in which only Pello Bilbao and Luke Plapp survived from the overall classification riders. 51 seconds were gained on most of the competition including the trio of UAE Team Emirates riders.
It was a big day for the World Champion, who tomorrow leads the Belgian team through the team time-trial which will create further differences.
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