When you’re wearing the leader’s jersey in a grand tour, a rest day isn’t really a day off. You have to meet obligations. Including that of the press conference, remotely. Remco Evenepoel was therefore entitled to it again on Monday. From his hotel in Jerez de la Frontera, the Brabant prodigy swept his news. He also returned to the pressure inherent in his status as leader. And when a colleague asked him how he could optimize his recovery after two very difficult stages, like those he had to manage this weekend, he made his sense of humor speak. “The best way to facilitate my recovery is to shorten the press conferences”he smiles.
The one who has a 1:34 lead over Primoz Roglic and 2:01 over Enric Mas is ready for the last six days of racing but he calls for calm because “everything can collapse with a twist of fate”.
He’s used to pressure
Since his sensational debut as a junior, Evenepoel has had to face immense pressure. It doesn’t seem to bother him that much. “I already had some when I was playing footballhe said. I was taught to deal with it. That said, when I turned pro, everything was new to me. I was stepping into another world. It hasn’t always been easy. In fact, until I fell in Lombardy (Editor’s note: August 15, 2020), I still had moments of nervousness. Since then, I have progressed in this area and it is true that today, I have the feeling of living quite well with this pressure. In any case, I no longer feel it as an immense weight on my shoulders.”
Expectations in Belgium
The last Belgian to have won a grand tour was Johan De Muynck, winner of the Giro in 1978. And we have to go back to 1977 to find a black-yellow-red winner of the Vuelta: Freddy Maertens. This is to say that the first nation in the world at the UCI is waiting with more and more impatience for a new grand tour winner. “I know I could be the first in a very long timelance le leader de Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl. But I don’t want to think about it, not yet. I try to approach each stage as a race in its own right. Because there is still almost a week before the arrival in Madrid. For the head, it’s better to see day by day. You know, everything can fall apart at every turn. Look Julian (Editor’s note: Alaphilippe) and me, we fell where we didn’t expect it at all. The consequences could have been much worse for me. That’s why I have to stay focused until the last moment. I have to stay on my guard until late Sunday afternoon.”
It is only then that Evenepoel will be able to claim victory.
Feet on the ground
He makes a point of recalling it because he suspects that in Belgium, the enthusiasm is general. “I can imagine that my performances are talked about but I don’t pay too much attention to it. Anyway, I don’t have time to watch TV. Of course, that makes me happy but I would like to tell everyone world to stay calm because, I repeat, the road to Madrid is still long. We all have to keep our feet on the ground, even if it is better to be in my situation than in that of my pursuers in the standings general.”
It’s not just Roglic
It suffered but hung on this weekend in the Sierra de la Pandera and the Sierra Nevada. Attacked by Roglic on Saturday and Mas on Sunday, he managed his efforts perfectly. “Saturday, it was really not easy because I couldn’t press the pedals as I wanted. My muscles were still stiff from my fall (Editor’s note: occurred on Thursday). Now I feel almost nothing. Everything is in order.”
On Sunday, he saw Mas go on the attack and Roglic do so two kilometers from the finish. “My fear, before these two stages, was to put myself too much in the red. I was afraid of exploding because I did not really know what to expect with this finish at more than 2,000 meters above sea level. In the end, I lost a bit of time but I still have a comfortable lead.”
This is good because he risks being attacked during the next few days. Roglic, triple winner of the event, is gaining momentum and is not panicking. He knows the music on the Vuelta. “But it’s not just the Jumbo-Visma and himthinks the 22-year-old runner. The entire top 5 is a threat. Let’s not forget that the gaps between them are minimal.”
We respect the red jersey
This Tuesday, when he begins the home stretch of his huge challenge, Evenepoel will wear the red jersey for the 11th day in a row, a situation he particularly appreciates. “My teammates and I know it takes a lot of effort. We have to defend it and so far we’ve done it very well. I realize that being the leader of a grand tour is unique. It’s much more special than running a race for a week. When you wear the red jersey, everyone respects you because they know what it means and all the effort it took to get there. respect gives me enormous confidence.”
The fatigue is felt
This conquering state of mind is also a reflection of the optimal level he has displayed since leaving Utrecht 18 days ago. “If I’m in the shape of my life? I don’t think so because after two weeks the heat and the length of the race have a certain impact on your organism. The fatigue is increasingly felt in the legs .”
But he swears he still has enough energy to go after his dream.