Tour de France is Remco Evenepoel's ultimate goal: "I got a taste of it. We also know what we have to improve"

Remco Evenepoel came into the world of cycling as a brilliant time-trialist, rouleur and classics rider. In 2022 he made the leap to win the Vuelta a España and affirm his status as a Grand Tour rider as well. In 2024 he pulled off an almost perfect Tour de France, and he knows that one he can win it.

First of all however, he has a few months of work ahead to recover and gain some form after the injury that has put him in the sidelines. "Let me put it this way: if there's one thing I can be happy about, it's that this injury occurred in December. We also had to decide now and that is why I am not riding any spring races," the Belgian said to Wielerflits. "I want to be 200% ready for the Tour de France. Maybe we will add the Tour de Romandie after the four hilly classics, to have a few more racing days under my belt."

After these, Evenepoel is also expected to race the Criterium du Dauphiné and national championships before the Tour de France. "After that (Romandie, ed.), we want to copy last year's preparation. I have no doubt that if I follow that path, I will be in very good shape for the Tour. There are still seven months until then. There is time. That is why the Tour is now the main goal. If things do not go well in the Ardennes classics, then it is part of the process towards the Tour de France. That is how I see it in the coming period.”

Soudal - Quick-Step have in previous days confirmed that Mikel Landa will be racing the Giro d'Italia for the overall classification and then combine it with the Tour. At the Tour Tim Merlier will be present and will be a strong contender for the first yellow jersey, supported by leadout man Bert van Lerberghe. Evenepoel is not against a split leadership: “Tim and I went to the United States together for wind tunnel tests last autumn. We talked about it a lot there. Tim is the fastest in the peloton. If you know that the first day is a mass sprint, he is European champion and can take yellow in Lille, near his home: then you take Merlier along to the Tour".

"He and Bert Van Lerberghe know that they have to protect me during the day. But after that, they can do their thing in the sprints. In the mountain stages, it will be the same: they have to drop me off at the foot of a climb and then they have to come in on time," he says. "We are mainly looking at UAE Emirates and Visma | Lease a Bike. They will want to control again. We do not have seven riders for that and that is why we are focusing on two goals: Tim's sprints and my classification.”

Evenepoel has won both World Championships, Olympic Games, monuments and the Vuelta a España. It can be said the Giro and Tour are the two big goals left to win in his career, but because he can't race the Giro with a good preparation this year, his mind is fully on the Grand Boucle.

“Hopefully I will be ready to win the Tour one day. I was pretty close last year. I got a taste of it. We also know what we have to improve," the Belgian argues. "That is why I am trying to come out of this period stronger. I have to be patient and wait for the right moment. I am only focusing on the Tour. Everything else is unfortunately secondary. That is not in my nature, but that is the way it is.”