Remco Evenepoel heads into his ultimate preparation race for the Tour de France, the Critérium du Dauphiné, “a step forward of final yr” in response to his Soudal-QuickStep crew, after one other crash-affected season the place he’ll tackle Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard.
Final yr, Evenepoel was ramping up for his first look in two months on the Dauphiné, having crashed and sustained fractures at Itzulia Basque Nation. In 2025, it was the dooring incident within the low season that put him out of motion till April with a number of accidents, and his seen him looking for high kind in anticipation of the Tour.
With simply 4 days to go till the beginning of the distinguished eight-day stage race in France, Evenepoel’s coach Koen Pelgrim is staying measured concerning the expectations of the Belgian, however gave a higher perception on a name to Nieuwsblad and worldwide media into how the Olympic Champion’s kind is shaping up.
“Remco is unquestionably higher on schedule than final yr. Then he began the altitude coaching camp for the Dauphiné with a drawback; he was struggling at first of that coaching camp, and he was actually not the place we hoped he can be,” mentioned Pelgrim, reported by Nieuwsblad.
“In that respect, he’s already a step forward of final yr. After the buildup of competitions within the spring, the week of relaxation actually did him good, and he was capable of begin the altitude coaching camp at a fairly good stage.”
Regardless of this constructive improvement, after Evenepoel returned with a bang at Brabantse Pijl in April, and had blended outcomes from Amstel Gold Race by means of to the Tour de Romandie the place he was fifth, once more, Pelgrim ensured he was real looking together with his ambitions.
“He’s now one step additional than final season simply earlier than the Dauphiné. However final yr, Remco improved rather a lot between the Dauphiné and the Tour. So we’ll should see if Remco remains to be in a greater place in the beginning of the Tour,” mentioned the coach.
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“He stayed off the bike for 4 months. You may’t simply make up for one thing like that. You may get again to a great stage comparatively rapidly, however it’s these previous couple of proportion factors which can be essential.
“For that, you’ve got to have the ability to prepare constantly over an extended interval. We hope that Remco can acquire these final two or three proportion factors within the coming weeks. We can not do magic.”
One space the place Pelgrim has seen clear, measurable enchancment was with Evenepoel’s weight, already nearing the best race stage for which the Belgian crew have been wanting on the Tour’s begin on July 5.
“He’s one-and-a-half kilos lighter than final yr at the moment of yr,” mentioned Pelgrim, confirming that the tapering down has been extra gradual than after final yr’s Dauphiné.
“When it’s important to lose numerous weight in a brief interval, it at all times takes its toll in your energy, restoration and even each. That was the story of final yr: we needed to chase each his competitors weight and his kind. The truth that he does not have to try this anymore this yr is constructive.”
Evenepoel will likely be backed on the Dauphiné by Pascal Eenkhoorn, Valentin Paret-Peintre, Casper Pedersen, Pepijn Reinderink, Maximilian Schachmann and Louis Vervaeke, with the chief equally not being overly bullish in pursuit of a high consequence towards Pogačar and Vingegaard.
“I’m joyful to be again in motion with the crew. I had a stable altitude coaching camp in Sierra Nevada and now I’m prepared for the Dauphiné,” mentioned Evenepoel in a crew launch.
“I can’t say that I’m going there with any particular objectives, as a very powerful factor will likely be to see how the shape is. It goes with out saying that I want to be within the combat for a few good outcomes, however the plan is to take it one stage at a time and see the place this leads subsequent week.”
With the Tour simply across the nook, Evenepoel will hope he is closed the hole to the Slovenian and Dane, and that he can a minimum of as soon as once more end third on the Tour ,after an awesome debut in 2024. Pelgrim mentioned this might nonetheless be his ceiling for the second, towards the respective three-time and two-time Tour champions.
“We at all times intention larger, however Pogačar’s stage was exceptionally excessive final yr and shutting that hole may be very tough. And Vingegaard may also be higher now than final yr,” added the coach. “So though Remco has made a step, that doesn’t imply that he’ll essentially do higher than third place.”
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