"You have the pink jersey, but what do you do with it?" - Patrick Lefevere gives little importance to taking pink jersey early on

Patrick Lefevere is having Remco Evenepoel as the big star of Soudal - Quick-Step and is all eyes on the Giro d'Italia for the next few weeks. The mood is positive ahead of the first Grand Tour of the season.

"Of course it would be nice, it would also be a moral touch to the competition. You have the pink jersey, but what do you do with it?" Lefevere told Sporza regarding the possibility of Evenepoel winning on the opening day and immediately putting on the pink jersey. "However, I am not going to say that we are not able to control for three weeks. Remco is looking forward to wearing the leader's jersey. He's already missed that one here by two seconds. It would also be a great boost for the team. We'll see what we do."

All the work has been done and the Belgian team comes into the race with it's weapons in place. Ilan van Wilder and Louis Vervaeke were in great form at the Ardennes classics, and the string of mishaps that has been affecting Jumbo-Visma mean they will face slightly less competition. “I'm not sure about it, I'm afraid. We tested everyone before we left and we will test here regularly as well," Lefevere said of the risk of getting Covid-19.

As for what would make him satisfied out of the Giro, he joked: “If I can go to the Vatican. There I might be able to hand over a jersey to the Pope. No, I would be very happy with a podium in Rome. If we win, that's great. It is only his second Grand Tour that he can ride at full power. It won't be that simple.”