Evenepoel discloses in New York Times: Van Aert’s Olympic mistake

Winning both the time trial and the road race at the Olympics: Evenepoel demonstrated one of the most unique achievements in contemporary cycling in Paris. It's no surprise that the Aalst-born star attracted attention from all corners of the world. His impressive feat even reached across the Atlantic Ocean. An invitation for an interview with the New York Times followed, which is something not many active cyclists are asked.

In that interview, Evenepoel reflects on the time trial in Paris, particularly the medal ceremony after the time trial. A rare mistake occurred, though not due to his own fault. "Wout (Van Aert, ed.) was also on the podium, and there was a specific outfit we were supposed to wear. But Wout had brought the wrong one, so I had to take off my jacket to find another one," explains the smiling Belgian. And indeed: in the photo, Evenepoel and Van Aert are wearing the same jacket, while other Belgian medalists on the podium wore a slightly different jacket.

Evenepoel also discusses his plans for when he has 'checked off all the boxes in cycling that he has in his head.' The possibility of a duathlon for Evenepoel was already discussed after it became apparent that the water in the Seine might not be clean enough for the Olympic triathlon to take place. "That would have been special," he laughs about it. "I’m not sure if that’s allowed as a professional cyclist. But one day I’ll do Ironmans and triathlons. I think age matters less in an Ironman because it's less explosive. And it will help me avoid gaining weight.' Evenepoel concludes: "A third medal would have been very special, but it wouldn’t have done me any good for the road race."