"Win or not: he will definitely leave his mark on the proceedings. I'm convinced of that" - Christian Prudhomme responds to doubting of Remco Evenepoel's Tour de France hopes

For the first time in his career, Remco Evenepoel will contest for the Maillot Jaune at the Tour de France in 2024. Is he a serious contender for overall victory though? That is a question that has split many of cycling's experts.

Whilst Belgian cycling expert Johan Museeuw doubted Evenepoel's chances whilst on the Geraint Thomas Cycling Club Podcast, saying; "I am not sure that he can win the Tour," the French Grand Tour's head honcho, Christian Prudhomme is in no doubt that the Soudal - Quick-Step leader is more than capable at competing with the likes of Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard.

"What struck me in the past Vuelta, apart from his exceptional skills and the fact that he capitalized on them from his first steps in the professional peloton, was his resilience and resilience to fight back after that blow on the Tourmalet. I feared he would give up. But he didn't do that," Prudhomme explains in conversation with the Belgian media. "Ride after ride he continued to look for success. He attacked from afar and delivered an incredible spectacle. In that sense, I consider him the classification favourite for the 2024 Tour de France."

"Not the top favourite, that status is reserved for Vingegaard and Pogacar," he clarifies. "But that sometimes unexpected craziness in him can cause him to turn everything upside down. I remember a quote from the young Luis Ocaña. 'I don't know if I will win the Tour, but I will certainly have an influence on it,' he said. Well, that also applies to Evenepoel. Win or not: he will definitely leave his mark on the proceedings. I'm convinced of that."