Evenepoel's call not heeded, Belgium still raises questions: "I don't think much more can be added"

Suddenly, he started crying, Remco Evenepoel. After his third place in the Tour de France, all the pressure and stress from the past weeks, months, and perhaps even years came pouring out. "In my home country, there has been a lot of criticism about my abilities in stage races and climbing, about everything," he said about it. The criticism needs to stop, said Soudal-Quick Step. Belgian analysts made a good attempt on Sunday night and Monday morning...

"I think Remco has silenced a lot of people," we hear his father, Patrick Evenepoel, say on Sporza. "That was especially important for himself, because over time, you would start doubting yourself if everyone says you can't do this or that. Remco has always believed in himself, and he has received confirmation of his hard work. He now knows that he doesn't need to adjust his goals."

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Evenepoel in tears after Nice finish line

Belgium proud of podium finish Evenepoel

In the Belgian media, Evenepoel's third place was praised highly. "Being able to keep working for three weeks. That's how he secured his third place. The critics who still had legitimate doubts now know: Remco can come back. His preparation will get even better, his focus even stronger. He has now proven that he can compete for the top," said Sporza's José De Cauwer, who expects the Tour de France to be a fixture in the coming years. "I bet on a preparation including Liège-Bastogne-Liège, some races leading up to the Tour, and then in the fall, Lombardia and other races, like the World Championships."

"He was watched with great anticipation and ultimately did what everyone expected of him. Not a single day faltered, sublime time trials, a stage win, and the white jersey: that's incredibly impressive," concludes Serge Pauwels, also from Sporza. "The team needs to think about how they can further improve Remco, without being blind to his other qualities. They don’t necessarily need to work on his explosiveness if that's not where the biggest gain lies. Everything needs to be carefully weighed."

Marc Sergeant describes Evenepoel's performance in the Tour as 'a boost' in Het Nieuwsblad. "Maybe he needs to dare to go all out at some point. With the experience he has gained this year, he should try to get even better. At the same time, the gap to Pogacar is significant. It's not just a small gap, but a serious one that Evenepoel needs to close. And that will be a very difficult task. He should certainly not focus on the others but concentrate on himself. There will still be areas where he can improve. He needs to find those marginal gains. These guys will remain his biggest competitors for a few more years."

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How much further can Evenepoel advance?

According to Evenepoel’s father, there are still steps to be taken in the future. "It was also immediately clear to him that Pogacar and Vingegaard stood out. The standings don’t lie, but there is also a gap behind Remco. He will now work extremely hard to try to beat those two and fight with them for the overall victory."

That sounds promising, but how can the Belgian achieve this, especially with Pogacar and Vingegaard also improving? "In the old days of cycling, you were kept small until you were 27, but now riders come through at a young age. They train perfectly from their rookie years. I hope for him, but I don’t think there’s much more to improve. Your physiological limits are built into your DNA, and there’s little you can do about it," says Jan Bakelants in HLN. "The gap with Pogacar is so large that it’s almost impossible to bridge. I think Remco was shocked by how big the gap is. Still, I am convinced that more is possible on a different course. This was a very difficult Tour—there was an extraordinary amount of climbing—and that was not in Remco's favor."

According to Bakelants, Evenepoel should hope for a lenient ASO (Amaury Sport Organisation). "The conditions could be much better. Next year might be too soon, but if we see another duel between Pogacar and Vingegaard in 2025, I could see things moving. In France, they are known to be allergic to dominance. It wouldn’t surprise me if the ASO starts favoring Evenepoel more in the coming years. It has been since 2012, the year Bradley Wiggins won, that we had a Tour with two long flat time trials—almost 100 kilometers back then. In such a Tour, where the climbing is also a bit lighter, the battle for the yellow jersey could be more open. I think the ASO wouldn’t mind some extra excitement."