"Those guys will have an off year someday": Dumoulin asks Evenepoel to not give up on Tour de France dream

Following his Amstel Gold Race triumph last weekend, Remco Evenepoel made a careful decision to skip the middle-of-the-week La Fleche Wallonne in favor of Liege-Bastogne-Liege this Sunday. There, he'll once again face off with rival Tadej Pogacar who is currently one Liege title ahead of the Belgian (3 versus 2). And even though it's been a while since Evenepoel last beat Pogacar head-to-head, he's still to be counted among main favourites for La Doyenne.

"What he can do on a bike is unprecedented, I enjoy it immensely and am even a bit jealous," Tom Dumoulin told Sporza about Evenepoel after Amstel Gold Race. It wasn't the most alien-esque victory of Remco's career, but it showed he's ready to deal with any opponent in the finale.

According to Philippe Gilbert, this victory will become invaluable to Evenepoel: "This win is extremely important for his confidence," Gilbert emphasizes.

He believes that, with his current form and experience, Evenepoel is a top candidate to win 'La Doyenne' for the third time. "His form is top-notch and he has the experience, because he has already won it twice."

While Gilbert focuses on the classics at hand, Dumoulin sets his sights on the ultimate test: the Tour de France. He wholeheartedly wishes Evenepoel the best in realizing his big dream. "I hope he can take a step up someday," he says hopefully.

But one step forward may not been enough to shift the current balance of power in the general classification guild. At the moment, the dominance of Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar in the high mountains is on another level. "Yes, it will be very difficult to close the gap on Pogacar and Vingegaard," he nods.

According to Dumoulin, Evenepoel might need to cling on an off-chance provided by his opponents. "Those guys will have an off year someday. If Evenepoel is at his best precisely then, he might be able to capitalize."

Despite Dumoulin's hopeful words, doubt remains, especially when listening to Andy Schleck. The former Tour winner fears that Evenepoel will always run up against his limits in the high mountains. "To be honest, I don't think he can win the Tour at the moment. Because he will always encounter those problems in the high mountains. But a peloton can change. Maybe Pogacar won't be around in two years. Who will take over his role then? Seixas? He is still a question mark too."