CyclingThe Soudal Quick-Step selection for the Tour of San Juan has landed in Argentina after “a 35-hour journey”. In addition to Pieter Serry, Yves Lampaert, Fabio Jakobsen, Jan Hirt and Michael Morkov, of course also leader Remco Evenepoel. The world champion also went for the first time in South America (see video below)
Remco Evenepoel will start the new cycling season at the end of next week in the Tour of San Juan (January 22-29). The world champion and his teammates took the plane from Amsterdam to Buenos Aires in Argentina on Tuesday. In addition to Evenepoel, Yves Lampaert, Fabio Jakobsen, Jan Hirt, Michael Morkov and Pieter Serry also boarded the plane.
The latter kept a travel diary on his Instagram (see video above). “Hopefully the weather will be better in Argentina, because it’s just sad here,” it said on departure. Serry announced in his self-christened vlog ‘Kopserry’ last night that he had finally arrived in San Juan after two flights and two bus trips. “We are 35 hours on the road!”
Limited jet lag
No doubt you’re wondering: why doesn’t the team spare itself all the trouble of a long, grueling journey and just let its six ‘wrung out’ riders cum staff join the rest of the squad, currently on training camp in Calpe?
Well, of course Soudal-Quick.Step – just like the other WorldTour teams present in Argentina – receives a certain starting premium (how much exactly, is a well-kept secret). Money that CEO Patrick Lefevere can put to good use in difficult budgetary times should not be taken lightly.
Since 2017, the year in which the eight-day stage race (seven stages, one rest day) entered the international UCI calendar for the first time and non-South American teams were also invited, Quick.Step has been a regular customer in the Tour of San Juan. It is one of the few opportunities to be able to race at a decent level in January. An alternative is the Tour Down Under, but even in Australia you don’t stand in a few hours and the jet lag to overcome is considerably greater there: ten and a half hours compared to ‘only’ four hours in Argentina.
The region also offers excellent training conditions, which is why Evenepoel, Lampaert, Serry and co. already – one week before the starting gun – traveled and took up residence in the Del Bono Park Hotel. It allows them to acclimatize peacefully and to precede the first competition assignment of the new season with a kind of training period, during which they cycle constantly at an altitude of 650 to 1,000 metres.
And, also important: in the warm desert climate in which San Juan is located. Summer is in full swing. With an average temperature of 26 degrees, January is the warmest month. During the day the mercury easily rises to 30-35 degrees and more.
For Evenepoel it will be his third participation in the Argentinian stage race. Earlier in 2019, in his debut year with the pros, he finished ninth in the final standings. He also won the young rider classification there. A year later, in 2020, he took a victory in the time trial and the overall win. “I am very happy to race in San Juan again,” said Evenepoel, who will celebrate his 23rd birthday during the stage race.”
LOOK. Evenepoel and co were already riding loose for the first time
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‘Less is more’ in 2023 for Remco Evenepoel, but with one big, clear ambition: “Winning everywhere or riding on the podium”
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