Three weeks after his overall victory at the UAE Tour, Remco Evenepoel will be back at the start of the Tour of Catalonia tomorrow. Evenepoel has been in Tenerife for the past few weeks, where he has been undertaking altitude training to improve his form for the forthcoming Tour of Italy. “I’m between 90 and 95 percent now so I’m perfectly on track to be 100 percent at the Giro.”
After intensive high-altitude training in Tenerife, Remco Evenepoel will put another number on his back tomorrow in the Tour of Catalonia. “For me, this is a new step, a new test,” he says in an interview with VTM News. “I’m currently between 90 and 95 percent. Every stage we try to add 5 percent so I’m perfectly on track to get 100 percent in the Giro.”
The Giro is obviously the most important date on Evenepoel’s calendar, but the world champion always rides with ambition and it’s no different in Catalonia. “The biggest goal is to win a stage in the rainbow jersey so that I finally have such a nice picture. We’re aiming for the last podium in the table – that’s a safe and realistic goal. To win, you need legs and luck.” The field of participants in Spain isn’t bad.” I’m expecting Roglic anyway, he was very strong in the Tirreno. In addition, I also think of Carapaz and the strong UAE block.”
“Will definitely go to Sanremo”
More than the Tour of Catalonia, Milan-Sanremo is of course the topic of conversation in cycling country this weekend. “I couldn’t see the last 45 kilometers because I was on the plane,” said Evenepoel. “This is how I saw the most boring kilometers. (laughs) When we landed, Jan Hirt and I immediately watched the final. I think the strongest won.”
Did yesterday’s final also tickle Evenepoel? “I would love to drive, that will definitely happen. It didn’t fit the schedule this year, but maybe next year. It’s a race that should suit me, especially as it’s been raced in recent years. That was on the table last year, but then we stuck to our plan in the run-up to Liège. And it didn’t end badly either.”
Source : HLN