The mud has barely settled on Tadej Pogačar‘s Giro d’Italia-Tour de France double this season but it surely’s now emerged one other main GC contender may properly be within the operating to not less than participate in each races in 2025: Remco Evenepoel.
In response to Patrick Lefevere, Soudal-QuickStep‘s longstanding and outspoken group supervisor, there’s a “practical choice” that Evenepoel will return to the Italian Grand Tour, previous to doubling that up with the Tour de France in July.
Evenepoel final raced the Giro d’Italia in 2023, however needed to abandon the race for a second time in three years after he and a number of teammates went down with COVID-19. His debut participation within the Tour de France this summer time was a significant triumph, seeing him clinch each third general and a stage win, in addition to the Finest Younger Rider’s jersey.
In a prolonged interview with Dernière Heure, Lefevere additionally mentioned the interminable rumours surrounding Evenepoel switching groups in 2025, saying “4 years in the past it was Ineos, now it is Pink Bull. Tomorrow it’s going to be what, UAE? Truthfully, I am a bit fed up with the entire story.”
Lefevere was notably extra enthusiastic concerning the potential prospect of Evenepoel racing the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France back-to-back, telling the Belgian newspaper, “We had already aired the chance this 12 months and Remco was very taken with the concept, however his coach modified his plans. That mentioned, it is a practical choice for 2025.”
“We noticed it was potential to do each, as a result of Pogačar managed it. The Slovenian’s instance may act as a supply of inspiration for Remco.”
The thought of a Giro-Tour double for Evenepoel in 2024 already surfaced briefly final October after the Tour presentation, however with the Olympic Video games one other goal this summer time, it was lastly turned down.
The newest race content material, interviews, options, critiques and skilled shopping for guides, direct to your inbox!
Lefevere admitted that such a radical change of plan would suggest a really completely different build-up to earlier seasons, solely remotely similar to 2023, when Evenepoel raced the Giro after which returned to the Vuelta a España to mix two three-week stage races for the primary and thus far solely time in his profession.
Whereas Pogačar raced a complete of 12 days earlier than the Giro d’Italia, Evenepoel must hit prime kind in mid-April, Lefevere mentioned and would seemingly race Milan-San Remo earlier than going onto Italy’s Grand Tour.
Loads of Belgian followers could be delighted to see the World and Olympic Time Trial Champion comply with Pogačar’s tracks in one other method and race the Tour of Flanders. However Lefevere not directly rejected the concept for now, or on the very least, combining San Remo and the Ronde.
“He is not overly in settlement with that individual concept,” he informed Dernière Heure. This 12 months, we already hesitated to place him in Sanremo, as a result of it is a 300-kilometre race and that takes quite a bit out of you.”
“However biking has modified, riders not have to do La Primavera as a warm-up race. They practice otherwise. For certain at some point he’ll do Flanders and Milan-San Remo, however perhaps when he is achieved his largest goal of all: profitable all three Grand Excursions.”
“Afterwards, we might see. Above all, we have now to ensure that he continues to take pleasure in himself.”
Maybe partly because of Evenepoel’s seemingly unstoppable run of success, most just lately within the World Time Trial Championships, the switch rumours proceed to swirl unabated. However Lefevere continued to roundly reject the concept.
“It isn’t one thing we intend to occur, no method! And it has been some time since there’s been any registered submit on my desk saying that one other group desires to speak. In order that’s not even a topic for dialogue.”
“On a sporting degree, what can he acquire elsewhere? We have perhaps obtained much less cash than elsewhere, however he is going properly right here and our relationship is constructed on belief.”
“Take a look at the palmares. In 2026 he’ll be 26, That’d perhaps be the great second to go searching for cash. However perhaps by that point, we’ll have extra monetary backing too.”
A definitive choice on Evenepoel’s 2025 season won’t be lengthy in coming, in line with Lefevere. The primary targets can be determined in October in group conferences, with the fine-tuning coming slightly later within the 12 months.
The 2025 Tour de France route presentation is at present set for October 29, with the equal unveiling of what is in retailer subsequent Could within the Giro d’Italia due on an as-yet-unconfirmed date in mid-November.
Come what could, Evenepoel is totally focussed on one other ‘double’ – combining his just lately received Worlds time trial gold with regaining the World Championship street race title on Sunday with some ultra-tough coaching rides.
This week the concept of doing a ‘homage’ journey within the environs of the Swiss city of Sankt Moritz, the place compatriot Johan Museeuw educated only a few days earlier than profitable the Worlds in Lugano in 1996, has been quietly dropped when it turned out Sankt Moritz was too removed from his present base in Switzerland. However Evenepoel continues to be anticipated to place in a seven-hour coaching journey on Wednesday because the countdown to the ultra-long (273km) Worlds in Zurich looms.
Like Evenepoel, Museeuw was additionally a rider with Lefevere again within the Nineties, however Lefevere is adamant that the youthful professional is already in a category of his personal.
“Should you take a look at Remco’s palmares and the medals he is received, just one conclusion is feasible. He is the very best rider who ever raced for me,” Lefevere concluded.
Get limitless entry to all of our protection of the 2024 UCI Highway World Championships – together with breaking information and evaluation reported by our journalists on the bottom from the junior, under-23, and elite time trials and street races because it occurs and extra. Discover out extra.
