Remco Evenepoel has not but confirmed his probably participation within the Tour de France subsequent season, however the Belgian star dropped his greatest trace but at a debut within the race after logging a 100km coaching journey on Strava.
Having taken half in a number of days of Soudal-QuickStep conferences and team-building actions in Belgium final week, Evenepoel is in Calpe in south-east Spain and again in coaching for the 2024 season.
On Monday he logged a hilly 100km coaching journey with 1,229 metres of elevation, titling the journey ‘Right here we go! En path to La Grande Boucle’ with Italian and French flag emojis.
Whereas Evenepoel has been tempted by the opportunity of combining the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France subsequent season, the mixture of emojis might simply as properly be referring to the Tour alone, which kicks off in Tuscany on June 29.
Evenepoel seems to be sure to debut in France subsequent summer season, taking up an atypical Tour de France route which crosses the Alps early, incorporates a mountain-packed last week, and concludes with a last day time trial in Good because of the Paris Olympic Video games.
He is set to do battle in opposition to reigning champion Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma), two-time winner Tadej Pogačar (UAE Crew Emirates) and Bora-Hansgrohe’s new man Primož Roglič in what may very well be probably the most thrilling battles for the yellow jersey in current reminiscence.
Soudal-QuickStep workforce boss has beforehand warned Evenepoel in opposition to taking up the Giro-Tour double and has additionally expressed doubts that his cost can match the extent of the likes of Vingegaard and Pogačar simply but.
“He nonetheless has an account open with the Giro and he was contemplating combining the Tour and the Giro,” Lefevere instructed Sporza in October. “However with what comes subsequent, with the Olympic Video games, for instance, the Giro-Tour mixture doesn’t appear to be the very best thought to me.”
Earlier this month, the veteran workforce boss instructed La Dernière Heure that, “in consequence, we nonetheless have doubts in regards to the precise stage he can attain within the Tour de France in opposition to guys like Vingegaard and Pogačar.
“We might have most well-liked if he might have loved the [2022] Giro for 3 weeks earlier than discovering the Tour de France. However due to all these setbacks this 12 months, he instantly has to find himself within the Tour.”