It's time to blow for the runners of Tour de France ! After ten days of high intensity racing, the 172 runners still in the race are entitled to a well -deserved day of rest. If some, especially Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates XRG) ou Jonas Vingegaard (Team Visma | Lease A Bike) take advantage of this cut and do not want to contact the media, others have chosen a press conference to talk about the week that has just ended and the last two arriving. This is particularly the case for Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step Team) which, in the company of Tim Merlierexplained his strategy for the next few days and take stock of his start of Tour.
“Everything is fine, the assessment is quite positive”
Before the next few days that promise to be difficult for all runners in Tour de France, Remco Evenepoel displayed that it was necessary “Always believe it” Although its level difference with Jonas Vingegaard et Tadej Pogacar Was once again revealed during the 10th stage: “It is clear that I am very motivated to do the maximum possible, to try to finish as high as possible, and then we will see the result. If I do not think I can be in the mix, you should not be at the start. There are a lot of steps that are hard, but there are also many that are between the two, so you have to stay motivated, calm, and see day after day.” The Olympic champion therefore took stock of this first week of racing, a rather positive record according to him: “Our start of the round is not bad: we won three stages, we are third in the general classification, I am in the mix with the big favorites. Tim won two, I won the time. It is clear that the first step was perhaps a false start for us, but we recovered well. I think it motivated us even more than before. For the moment, everything is fine, the balance sheet is quite positive. “
Another positive point for the Belgian is to have lost the white jersey, which allows him to save a lot of time: “I was almost two hours at the hotel before the others, so it really helped me not have the white jersey. I think I fell asleep when the others arrived, so for me it was something positive. Maybe after the Hautacam stage, I will have the jersey again, so you have to see how it will happen.” However, even with a facilitated recovery for a few days, Remco Evenepoel will have a lot to do to keep its place on the podium in front of runners such as Matteo Jorgenson (Team visma | lease a bike), which he still thinks can dominate because according to him “If Matteo Jorgenson continues to put attacks like yesterday, I think he's going to be well burned.” Despite everything, the American of the Visma | Lease a Bike remains dangerous, but not out of reach, far from it: “It is clear that it will be dangerous. It is their tactic, but we saw last year that it was long enough in the ranking, until the high mountains begins, and he had to work too much for Jonas. This year, they have a more balanced team for the mountain, with Yates and Kuss. We will see, but I think I can end up.
“Make good decisions will be super important”
The program promises to be tense for the next few days, which will see the mountain stages. This is why Remco Evenepoel attend “The Sunday stage because it is the easiest step”. But the Belgian does not neglect the stages before: “I think that the stages of the Pyrenees will be super important, for me and for the team, but they will be hard, unfortunately. Like last year, the Visma and UAe teams are too strong for us to be able to do something with our team. We saw yesterday, at one point, there were three Visma, and I was alone. There was Valentin who had returned, then he was also the edge. UAE, so it's clear that I will often be isolated.
The Belgian is not, however, killed, far from it, and rather sees the situation as learning, which will allow him to be more competitive afterwards: “Jhe tries to learn to their contact as much as possible, I am only 25 years old so I am still a few years old in front of me to achieve the objectives of my career with the Tour de France and the Giro. So yes it is difficult to have to be faced with them but I think that my goal is to at least get closer to them and for that it is good to try to run as much as possible against them. “
“I read a lot of things that are not true”
Asked that Pogacar et Awesome preferred to rest entirely on Tuesday and not give a press conference, unlike him, the Belgian responded with humor. “”Maybe they have a better press attachment (laughs) … No, more seriously, I remember that we hadn't done it before the tour, and I think they are. So it's a balance to find, and today we have a special event (the brand's 25 years Safety Jogger, editor's note). About Phil (Lowe, Sudal Quick-Step press secretary, it was of course a joke. As long as it doesn't take half the day, I don't mind, it's part of the work“, he summed up.
This press conference was also an opportunity for Remco Evenepoel To approach extra-sporting questions, especially those of its future, which many see on the side of the team Red Bull-BORA-Hansgrohe : “2026 is still far away. But it is obvious that I cannot comment on this subject. There are speculations but we have to satisfy everyone. There have been things happening for several years. I read a lot of things that are not true, unfortunately. I had a long discussion with Jurgen (Editor's note. Foré, the new boss of the team) on this subject, because it also worries it and it is it and all is it. (smile).”
