“I'm here to do my best …”
The runner of Soudal Quick-Step Declared: “MWe objective is to win the three big laps, and I have two left. I was third of the round last year, so it means that I can do it. Jonas (Vingegaard) and Tadej (Pogacar) have won the last 5 editions, and they are still favorites this year. But it wouldn't be just for the team saying that I don't want to fight against them. I'm here to try to compete with them, complicate their lives. Where I am in relation to them? Difficult to say. Last year, I was the third and now I try to do a little better. The race will decide my position. I'm going to do my best. Everyone is a little afraid of this first week, nobody wants to give up on injury after a few steps. But no need to stress, it's the same for everyone. Some like these hectic outings, others not. But no one likes to fall. I'll let it go. The fact is that the races will be intense during these first ten days“.
“The work to progress in the mountains must be carried out in the long term. Since the Dauphiné, I had good sensations and especially in the wake of the Belgian championships. I hope it will be felt on the Tour de France. “Among the options available Evenepoel To try to shine, the Caen time trial stands out as a major deadline in the match with its two biggest rivals: “The time is twice as long as in the Dauphiné, and it's all flat, so I can hope. But last year I thought I would win 25 '' and I only won 12 '' on Tadej. So it depends on the form of everyone's day, but I believe that this journey gives me an advantage on both. The most important thing will be to win the stage, but in the perspective of the general classification, it would be necessary that with the greatest possible gap“.
“We will have to run the last step …”
The Olympic champion continues: “Of course, I think that if there is a guy that I don't want to miss in this turn, it's Mikel (Landa). And unfortunately, it is he who is most seriously injured in the team at the moment. So I will miss it a lot in the team. And I think Mikel (Landa) is always free to answer my messages or, if I have no questions, or if I need it, I will call it and he will help me (…) If you look at the previous steps, it will already be difficult for runners in the general classification, but also for sprinters, just for timing. And then, normally, the last stages-or a time trial, or a sprint stage, it is rather a formality. But in the end, I think we are likely to have to run and see how it goes, and I imagine that once arrived on the Champs-Élysées for the first time, there will be attacks to try to finish in style, and it will be like a normal race. I think that the runners in the general classification will be afraid to lose their place because of this time, or imagine that you are in yellow or second position with a small advance, you just want to keep your place 20 kilometers from the finish. Yes, that's how it happens, and you just have to run“, concludes Remco Evenepoel.
