2023-10-07 05:16:00
The Tour of Lombardy may well have been poetically renamed a classic of dead leaves, but the sap still seems to irrigate certain large oak trees in the peloton. The skin suctioned over veins with which one could play the harp, Remco Evenepoel approaches the last monument of the season with this firm determination which animates him as he approaches his greatest objectives. Between Como and Bergamo, on the 248 kilometers which will wind this Saturday on the Italian slides between shadow and light, the Belgian champion will think of nothing other than the most judicious way to raise his arms on the Via Roma. A sort of parenthesis in the inaudible hubbub of rumors which have enveloped his personal future as well as that of the Soudal Quick-Step team in recent days.
“I try not to lose too much negative energy in all this,” Evenepoel whispered just before the proposed merger between his group and Jumbo-Visma seemed to deflate as quickly as the detonation of that bomb had gone off. At the moment, we have no information and therefore no answers to our questions. The only thing we can do is wait and hope for a happy ending. We’ll see… In my career, I’ve already experienced certain things that undoubtedly help me deal with situations like this, I think I can say that I know how to evolve under pressure. But for some runners, it’s harder to cope with all that. There is a slightly confused atmosphere, and the best way to get rid of it is certainly to try to achieve a great result this Saturday.”
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The fall of 2020? We never talk about it again with Remco.”
A recipe already tested at the start of the week by Ilan Van Willder, winner of the Trois Vallées Varésines, and Andra Bagioli, winner on Gran Piemonte, who will support Evenepoel this weekend. “This is the best proof of the hunger that continues to drive this group! smiles Davide Bramati, the sports director of Soudal Quick-Step training. I feel everyone is extremely motivated for this last big meeting of the season. This is a special event for Remco because he knows that this is a big race that suits his qualities and that he can add to his list of achievements. His downfall of 2020? This is honestly no longer a subject that we discuss between us. This is an episode from the past and Remco is a guy who always prefers to look in front of him rather than behind his shoulder… On Saturday, he will concentrate mainly on his performance because, with Roglic, Pogacar, Vlasov or Carapaz at the start, the plateau will be extremely high. The climb to Porta Garibaldi (Editor’s note: a little over a kilometer at 8% average with a peak at 12% and summit 3 km from the finish) is explosive, but I think it’s more the Passo di Ganda (9.2 km at 7.3%, summit 31 km from the finish) which will prove to be one of the key places.”
250 km in training on Sunday and a careful reconnaissance
A finale that Brabançon took care to recognize at the start of the week (last 150 kilometers) in one of the episodes of what he called ‘Project Lombardia’ on his Strava account. An unequivocal title as to the motivation that inhabits it.
Paolo Bettini, double winner of the Tour of Lombardy, before the last monument of the season: “Remco is more of a classics rider than of tours”
“Following the Vuelta, Remco did not get on his bike for five days,” explains his trainer Koen Pelgrim. Both his body and his head needed real rest. At this time of year, mental freshness plays a key role in performance. But as soon as he got back in the saddle, Remco instantly re-mobilized around his last big goal of the season. He is a runner who needs to know precisely for what purpose he is training, it is necessary for him to carry out ‘missions’. Last Sunday, he covered nearly 250 kilometers in training around Schepdaal (Editor’s note: at an average of more than 40 km/h!). Even if part of this session was carried out behind a scooter, I think that says enough about his determination (laughs)… He then headed to Italy at the start of the week because we wanted to carry out a careful reconnaissance which must necessarily take place in your program several days before the race so that you can then recover optimally. Remco seemed positive to me and happy with a spotting which confirmed what we thought: this course suits him well.”
In the middle of the ocean of questions in which the peloton has been immersed in recent days, the strongest certainty today is undoubtedly this: Remco Evenepoel is ready for this Tour of Lombardy!
Our favorites for the Tour of Lombardy. ©ipm graphics
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