“The time, to test the shoulder …”
Remco, six years ago, we saw each other for a little interview the day before the Tour and we asked you the question. The answer was “I come to have the experience first”, in the end 76th. This year, we hope better than the 76th, and especially the experience, it had been good for the results that followed.
Yes, exactly. But I think that I am still a little in a kind of progression after the big fall that I had this winter, so it is clear that I will come with more ambition than at the time, but still see day per day and do the maximum.
I have a question from Richard Chassot, the boss of the organization. He heard Remco Evenepoel say “I come to gain power, to see how I am”. There is a very hard mountain stage and a very special urban time trial in Geneva. He would like to know: which of these two stages will be the biggest test for you, the mountain or the time?
Both I think. In the Saturday stage, I will test the legs of the climbers a little, it will be a fairly long effort, especially on the last climb, but the whole stage will be quite hard. And then the time is always important for me, so there too to test the shoulder, it will be interesting. And also to go out already tomorrow, the first time, the new gold bike and also the rainbow jersey, for the first time this year. It will do good, it will give motivation, and also for next Sunday.
There will not be many days of rest on this tower.
No, exactly. Each step is quite hard, we have opportunities in each step with the team, so we will try to go out the maximum.
“I’m here to test myself”
The mountain stage is also the first time that the peloton has risen to 2000 meters. Is it a test for everyone?
Yes of course, and above all it is a fairly long climb. If I’m not wrong, it’s almost 22 kilometers, so it’s going to be quite hard. It’s going to be almost an hour of climbing, so it’s going to be a big test for the whole peloton.
I was wondering how you apprehend the fact of having a stages race, without many rest days, once the competition is starting again.
Yes, I think that for me it’s just a big test to enter the fatigue a little more, to try to find a better level. So it’s going to be a week without too much pressure for me. It is clear that I want to perform in the most important stages and stages, but I am just there too to push my level up, to test myself, to make good results with the team, and to just have several days of riding in a row. As I just said already, to push my level up.
What would be a successful Romanian tour for you? Is a stage victory enough? Is a general classification possible? If you don’t win, will you be disappointed?
To talk about the general classification, it’s a bit difficult right now. Normally, I enter into stages races with a lot of ambition, with the ambitions to win. But I think that on this week, it will be a little different. I will be super happy with a stage victory and just a good feeling, not really having a day without, and improving a little bit every day. Perhaps for me, the Sunday’s time will be the most important day to test the shoulder, to try to find the good feelings in time directly. And I think that if I can make a good general classification, have good steps, good results, I will be happy. But as I have already said several times, I just want to find a better level, go out with a better level than the one with which I will come back. So day by day. It is still a little for me the progression, still a little of the winter training at the moment. It’s a little weird to enter this mentality into the race, but it’s reality, so you have to accept it.
-“The prologue is a bit of a lottery …”
Tomorrow is a 3.4 km prologue with a lot of reminders, tight turns where the trajectories will be important. Does this type of effort inspire you? Do you like it or it will be complicated for you?
Normally, I think it will be an effort over 5 minutes, maybe a little less to win. So normally, it’s something that suits me, for 5 minutes. But it is clear that you have to revive, you have to put a lot of sprints of 10-20 seconds, and that is not really my strong point. But I’m just going to give the maximum, it’s going to be a good test to see the heart rate, see the stimulus power, better turn with the time bike. It’s going to be a good test, and then it’s always hard to put ambitions on such a short time. I think it is a bit of a lottery: the one who dares to throw himself more in the turns will often win. You just have to give the maximum and hope to finish quite high.
Sunday is a time in Geneva, in the streets of the city, which recalls a little Montmartre, perhaps with a little fewer people. Is this a course that you like?
Yes anyway. I think these are things that motivate me, especially the public. In recent years, they have been phenomenal in each race. I feel like it pushes me forward. I hope that on Sunday there will be a lot of people to push me too. It is a very beautiful time, a little technical at the beginning, then many straight lines, a rise, a descent which is not dangerous at all. I think it’s a very beautiful course and a beautiful final of this week.
What do you know about French-speaking Switzerland, apart from the fact that you were sitting here 6 years ago?
Cheese! No, not even. I think that in this time of year, there is a lot of rain. But what I saw is that we are lucky this week in Romandie. It is a phenomenal, extraordinary landscape. I like Switzerland. Last summer, I did good results at the world championships, so for me it is a very beautiful country, with beautiful climbs, beautiful descents, roads in great condition. I like to come to Switzerland to compete and to train too.
“When Pogacar attacks, I look at me to do the job”
When you came the first time here, do you remember what happened?
Yes, I remember it … but I wanted to forget, so thank you. No, I remember correctly. I think there was protection for electricity, and I just wanted to get out of the position towards the brakes, and just at that time I took the protection. Then the rest is quite well known. But fortunately without serious injuries, so it was not really a good start for me here around Romandie, but fortunately I was able to continue and finish the race.
After Liège, does that taught you something more after your race?
Yes, anyway. I think that a big mistake of our team, it was that we were far enough on the redoubt, at the foot of the redoubt. It is clear that we saw the figures that I made on the redoubt and the coast of the forges too, it was quickly, faster than the years when I won. So that means that the shape was there anyway. But the positioning was terrible, really horrible in fact. It was a big mistake on our part. I think we did not have the mentality to fight for a good position at the foot of the redoubt. You have to accept it. Now it happened like that. For me, the last hour of racing was too much. I was a little cooked just before, but it is clear that maybe with better positioning, I could have been with Chicon and Illy maybe, because it changes a lot. But that’s how it is, you have to look forward. I think I come from far away, I don’t know where I should be at this time of the season yet with normal preparation. It must be accepted, continue to work and keep the hope of progressing and improving the level.
We saw the Amstel Gold Race that you were a little alone to be able to follow Tadej Pogacar. In the end, Pogacar said it was the novelty of the day that we could beat him. Did it annoy you to see that only you seemed to believe that you could beat Pogacar?
Yes maybe. I often have the impression that, as yesterday too, when Tadej attacks and takes a few seconds in advance, behind it stops directly to seek victory. Yesterday too, there were a lot of runners who looked at me to do the job to get the others. But that’s how it is. It’s a bit of a shame that many roll with this mentality, but maybe they have their reasons. It is clear that the AMSTEL, it was a different end of yesterday. Less explosive, plus a mano-a-mano with long efforts like a time trial. There, I showed that I was perhaps better than Tadej. But yesterday, with explosive climbs, at that time it is even better than me. But you have to drive for victory. I always drive for the victory. I prefer to give myself thoroughly and explode, as yesterday, to roll up for a third or fourth place. It is not my mind. Sometimes we lose fairly largely with this way of running, but that’s what happened yesterday. After the Amstel, I took a lot of morality when I saw that I could go and get Tadej. You have to keep it in mind and take it as a motivation for the future.
