Remco Evenepoel paid tribute to Gino Mäder after soloing to the win on stage 7 of the Tour de Suisse, saying his attacking experience to shut out a sombre stage was “one of the simplest ways to honour Gino.”
The world champion proved the strongest from an elite group of riders which shaped on the day’s closing climb, shortly after the peloton handed by means of the marker at which GC occasions have been taken with 25km to go.
Thereafter, riders might select how they wished to race the ultimate only a day after Mäder’s passing. EF Schooling-EasyPost, Jumbo-Visma, and Ineos Grenadiers all pushed the tempo on the Otteneberg, nevertheless it was Evenepoel who made the profitable transfer, going clear shortly after the summit.
The profitable experience – Evenepoel’s seventh of the season – got here after a muted opening 170km of the stage, which noticed the peloton experience all along with no assaults earlier than the 25km mark.
“It was clear for all of you as properly that the race was type of neutralised till 25km to go,” Evenepoel advised CyclingPro after his win. “Then everyone was free to race, and we had the plan for Tim Merlier to recover from the climb and attempt to dash. However the climb was very laborious. Wout and his staff went tremendous laborious on the climb.
“First, I wished to assist Tim and Bert over the climb, however they rapidly screamed at me that I needed to go myself, that they noticed I used to be wanting excellent. I am not the type of man that simply quits the race regardless that the state of affairs may be very, very laborious for everyone.
“For my part, this was one of the simplest ways to honour Gino.”
Evenepoel encountered some resistance within the type of Jayco-AlUla neo-pro Welay Berhe, however the Belgian rapidly pushed on alone down the descent. He opened up a spot of 30 seconds and relying on a chase which counted Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma), Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers), and Neilson Powless (EF Schooling-EasyPost) amongst its quantity – even with a near-missed flip at a roundabout on the best way down.
As soon as he hit the brief part of flat highway to the end on the backside of the descent, Evenepoel was free to “let the feelings sink in”, he mentioned, including, “It was simply my aim, to win it for Gino.”
After a touching tribute within the closing metres of the stage, which noticed Evenepoel kiss his palms and level to the sky as he ended his experience, consideration will now flip to Sunday’s closing stage and the ultimate blow within the GC battle with the 25.7km time trial to Abtwil.
Evenepoel lies in fourth total, 46 seconds down on race chief Mattias Skjelmose (Trek-Segafredo), 38 down on second-placed Felix Gall (AG2R Citroën), and 28 down on third-placed Juan Ayuso (UAE Group Emirates). The gaps aren’t impossibly insurmountable, however it can take some doing for him to stage a last-day turnaround.
“I feel will probably be very laborious to experience him out of the chief’s jersey,” Evenepoel mentioned of Skjelmose. “He additionally has an excellent time trial [he was sixth in the opening time trial – Ed.]. I will attempt to experience my most and attempt to go for the stage. We’ll see what the outcome will likely be.
“I will in all probability end on the rostrum if all the things goes properly. I do not need to jinx something; I simply need to do an excellent effort. I feel I confirmed to everyone and to myself that daily, I’ve gone higher. Hopefully, tomorrow will likely be my greatest day of the week, and that I can attempt to win another, after which we’ll see concerning the yellow jersey.”
Even when he does not find yourself coming from behind to win the twelfth stage race of his profession, Evenepoel could be happy together with his week’s work at his first race again since catching COVID-19 on the Giro d’Italia final month.
“However I feel I could be tremendous proud with what I have been exhibiting this week after being sick and after getting some psychological kicks within the head after the Giro,” he mentioned. “We’ll see, and I will give my most. It is a laborious TT – a little bit of rolling components, then a steep climb, then a descent, then a end – it may be a small half-hour at full gasoline.”
