Evenepoel fails to impress again at Coppa Bernocchi: "He’s far from his best, we can see that too"

Before the one-day race, Evenepoel spoke with VTM Nieuws. He expects this year’s race to play out differently from the 2021 edition. “The finale is a bit different now. Three years ago, there was more climbing. This time, it’s mainly a local circuit, and the rest is pretty flat towards the finish. It will explode on the local lap, and then it’s about racing smart and picking the right moment.” In 2021, the Olympic champion claimed victory in the Coppa Bernocchi with a powerful solo effort, crossing the finish line nearly two minutes ahead after a 137-kilometer breakaway.

A long attack is also possible on Monday, but Soudal Quick-Step has more options to play with. “We can go for attacks, but we can also aim for a sprint with Raccagni. We’ll see how it plays out.” The young Italian, Andrea Raccagni Noviero, will officially become a professional with his Belgian team next season, just days after his emotional tribute to the late Muriel Furrer.

Win or not, the race around Legnano serves as a precursor to the Tour of Lombardy. Evenepoel doesn’t need to be in peak form yet. “But I can feel the batteries slowly running low. I’ll just do my best and see what I can still accomplish. If I don’t feel great in these lead-up races to Lombardy, I won’t go all out until the end. But the goal is to be in good shape for Saturday and aim for a solid result.” Last Saturday, Evenepoel withdrew from the Giro dell'Emilia after getting some dirt in his eye.

Despite an attempted attack, Evenepoel ultimately didn't contend for the win at the Coppa Bernocchi, finishing in an unremarkable 53rd place within the group sprinting for the last top-ten spots. Team director Klaas Lodewyck spoke to Belgian outlet Het Laatste Nieuws on behalf of Soudal-Quick Step: "There's not much to say about this race. We asked a few teams to help chase the early breakaway, but no one was really interested. So we went to work ourselves. A chase group with Cattaneo and Reinderink (Mattia, Pepijn, ed.) formed but stalled. When Evenepoel launched his first acceleration on the San Pancrazio climb, he brought teammates Vansevenant (Mauri, ed.) and UAE’s Hirschi and Sivakov (Marc, Pavel, ed.) with him, appearing to have made the selection."

However, things didn't go as planned. The peloton caught the strong group, and according to Lodewyck, this wasn't due to Evenepoel's presence. "Targeted… Maybe, but he's far from his best, and we see that too," Lodewyck explained candidly. "The simple fact is that Sivakov made it to the lead group, while Remco didn't. When he's at his peak, he breaks through and makes the difference. But you can tell he's at his limit — not when he's riding steadily, but when he's pushing hard. The priority now is to recover well and see what the next few days bring."

Will Evenepoel race again on Tuesday, or maybe not? Tre Valli Varesine is scheduled, but the race might be in question due to the forecasted extreme rainfall in the Lombardy region. "They're predicting a lot of rain, weather that you can barely race in. But we'll see what the decision is," Lodewyck said. Skipping the race might be the best option, though he isn't ready to commit to that yet. "We’ll need to assess the situation and talk to Remco. We need to see how he's really feeling and align that with what's expected for Tuesday. If it's truly bad, we can still take our precautions. But for now, we're sticking to the original plan."