After accelerating Rui Costa and his escaped teammates, Remco Evenepoel had to put aside his dream of two Vuelta victories in a row.
“You can’t want everything,” the Belgian champion shrugs, smiling. “I went really deep today. However, Klaas (Lodewijk) kept pushing me in my ears to keep going. I made the most of it with fourth place.”
Evenepoel went on the attack again early today and was very excited. With the aim of winning the jersey, or winning the stage, or both?
“Both,” he says. “But I quickly felt that my legs were still full from yesterday. I don’t think there was any victory over the new guys on today’s trip.”
Remco Evenepoel seems to be enjoying his new role.
He no longer boxes against the Jumbo-Visma block. “It is very fun to ride this way,” confirms the Soudal – Quick Step rider. “Until they start fighting back for fear that I will fall in the general classification.”
“I had to explain to Jonas Vengegaard ten times that I was no longer heading for the general classification, but he didn’t believe me,” Evenepoel laughed.
“On Tuesday I will definitely let myself go. Then the last climb will be the only one classified. I’m a few points ahead, so I’ll have two good rest days with a lot of time lost.”
“Then try to compete in the two difficult mountain stages.” Opposition to mountain classification has been warned.
