Remco Evenepoel will target the Clásica San Sebastián on Saturday, hoping to repeat his victory of 2019 as he continues his career progression at the Vuelta a España and on a longer road to discover if he can become a Grand Tour contender in the years to come.
The 22-year-old QuickStep-AlphaVinyl rider stormed to victory in the 2019 Clásica with a solo attack that immediately confirmed his prodigious talents as a Junior. His crash at the 2020 Il Lombardia massively disrupted his career but his victory at this year’s Liège-Bastogne-Liège confirmed he was back to his best.
After a month of hard training, Saturday’s Clásica San Sebastián will be an indication if Evenepoel is on track for the Vuelta a España, his major goal for 2022, that starts in three weeks. On Friday, he took the Strava record for the final short Murgil climb that could decide the Clásica in an apparent test of his form and race strategy.
“I’m here to do a good result, to try to get a second win,” Evenepoel said in a zoom press conference on Friday afternoon.
“I’ve only got good memories of San Sebastián. If you win a race unexpectedly, then you only have good memories.”
A lot has happened since Evenepoel’s 2019 win and his Il Lombardia crash injuries. He has become one of the biggest names in the sport, especially in Belgium and already has 32 victories on his palmares.
Three years on from his professional debut, Evenepoel appears older, wiser, happier and a better rider, even if doubts remain about his long-term Grand tour talents.
“Now I think I’m a more complete athlete,” he suggested. “Back then I was 19 and my body was still developing. Now I’m also smarter in races and can read races better. I’m also more explosive and more experienced in races. I’m a more complete human. All that can help to have a good results too.”
Evenepoel will face Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) and a number of Tour de France riders at the Clásica San Sebastián, although Wout van Aert and Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) are absent. True to character, Evenepoel hoped that Pogačar would be on form and keen to race, naming the Slovenian as his favourite and biggest rival for victory.
“He’s won two monument Classics, Strade Bianche and all the big races. I hope he’s recovered after the Tour and can do a good race,” Evenepoel said.
“The week after the Tour can give a super compensation if you have a week relaxing without…
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