"We are waiting for him" - Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme eager for Remco Evenepoel to make his debut
Cycling
Remco Evenepoel is riding the Giro d'Italia this year. The World Champion is having a steady run-up in his career towards the Tour de France, and race director Christian Prudhomme is eager for this to happen.
“We would be absolutely delighted if Remco Evenepoel starts the Tour in Florence next year. Of course, the Tour with Remco at the start would have even more flavor," Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme told Het Nieuwsblad. This Monday the final two stages of the 2024 Tour were revealed, with a mountainous finale to the race and a time-trial from Monaco to Nice ending the race.
The 2024 Tour is most likely to be Evenepoel's first, which Soudal - Quick-Step have already been hinting at since last year. This year he focuses on the Giro, and after having done specific preparation for both other Grand Tours, then Evenepoel will eye the Tour, with a team that has in the meantime had time to sign support riders for the Belgian.
“I also note that next year the current world champion will be the same age as Eddy Merckx in 1969. Eddy was also then 24 years old… We really hope that he embarks in Florence (2024 Grand Depart city, ed.)," Prudhomme continues. "We would be very happy. We are waiting for him. Of course we hope for a repeat of the facts of 1968 or of 1989," he refers to very dramatic finales to the Tour de France that ended with time-trials.
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The final time-trial is something which has brought a lot of attention, as the 35 kilometers between Monaco and Nice will have the ascents to La Turbie and the Col d´'Èze, two well known locations from Paris-Nice. Stage 20 will also feature several of the region's most prestigious climbs, however Prudhomme is specially excited for the final day.
“... Maybe something similar will happen as in the 2020 Tour," he imagines. "Then Primož Roglič was still ridden out of yellow by his younger compatriot Tadej Pogačar during a time trial on La Planche des Belles Filles."
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