Evenepoel wraps up important US trip (with Tour domestiques Landa and Merlier?) with a milestone
Cycling
The addition of Mikel Landa proved to be a smart move for Soudal Quick-Step, as evidenced during the recent Tour de France. Team leader Remco Evenepoel consistently had support from his Basque teammate on the climbs, with Landa also securing an impressive fifth place in the general classification. Recently, the duo traveled to the United States, joined by Tim Merlier, American representative Luke Lamperti and the management team, to focus on refining every possible detail.
According to Het Nieuwsblad, the two GC riders from the blue Belgian formation were vising the US to take their time trial skills to an even higher level in the wind tunnel. Last year, Evenepoel did the same, which earned him a fantastic year in terms of time trials, including wins at the Tour, the Olympics, and the World Championships. This is no mean feat, so he will be seeking additional margins again this year. "Hungry for more, striving for perfection," read the caption of his Instagram post showcasing photos from the trip.
A team press release confirmed that the men were working hard during their time in the US: "Our annual trip to Specialized’s Morgan Hill facility innovation center included testing in the famous Specialized WinTunnel, as well as working with Retul and Body Geometry Fit experts on optimizing their on-bike position. As well as the work, our riders were delighted to be able to join a global audience of Specialized employees to celebrate another successful season together, with our hosts also taking our riders and staff to see a Sharks v Red Wings ice hockey game."
"We are very grateful to Specialized for hosting us," said Evenepoel. "We’ve been working together for many years now. It’s a partnership where we share the same goal of always pushing and innovating to be better. It is so important to visit to see the team here to fine tune things for the forthcoming season and talk about the development of new, faster equipment, and how we can implement its use. It is also nice to see the people that work so hard support us throughout the season and show our appreciation."
Read more below the photo.
What does the US trip mean for Merlier? Evenepoel hits YouTube milestone
The trip wasn’t all work — it was also a week of fun and fitness. Evenepoel and Merlier were spotted running together, with Merlier captioning the activity, "Beat the jetlag." The sprinter, who enjoyed many victories in 2024, has expressed interest in combining sprinting opportunities with supporting Evenepoel in the Tour de France. Could his presence on this trip signal a spot on the Tour roster?
After the jetlag run, it was back to training for the Tour de France’s confirmed duo: Evenepoel and Landa. "Con free Landa," Evenepoel jokingly posted alongside a 60-kilometer ride with his teammate. Landa has clearly found his place within the Belgian squad. During his time with previous teams, leadership was often shared. His strong performances in 2024 leave everyone wanting more.
The US trip wrapped up with Evenepoel reaching a personal milestone on YouTube. He received a special package from the platform: " 100.000+ subscribers!! Thanks everyone for showing so much love to this project and subscribing to our channel."
The calendar for the new cyclo-cross season is now online! Check it out here. Or check out our general calendars for the remainder of the season for the men and women's races.
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Latest Comments
- Well explained, thanks for the clarity! Daniel DantasDanieldantas20-12-2024
- This is the kind of 'news' that belongs in a cheap tabloid. No matter how boring the offseason gets, nobody wants to read this.
santiagobenites19-12-2024 - I wish we could have seen him try. He'd absolutely get dropped before Pogi overtakes his domestiquesVeganpotter10-12-2024
- Talk is cheap! Next year barring crashes with a healthy team... all well be on track! Some need to talk to make a headline!mootman27-11-2024
- I do not see this event listed on HBO Max Sports Online? Can anyone confirm? Thanks!
MrYuck23-11-2024 - It seemed that he was focusing forward at the time of the crash, after seeing a quick video snippet. But one thing I think he should focus on more intently is breaking a bad habit he has, right now. And that is his constant looking over his shoulders. He does that so much, that I am very sure it is not good for him. Simply watch videos of the greats of CX and you will see very little of that constant looking over their shoulders. That is a behavior that betrays a bit of insecurity on his part. He shouldn't be so concerned, incessantly, about what is over his shoulder. He needn't worry they didn't all disappear. He neds to keep his focus more ahead of himself, and he needs to pay a bit more attention to himself, in a confident manner. It is very frustrating to watch, because it is apparent that he has a lot of potential, and is in much better shape thwan many of his competitors, but the mental game needs to be sharpened more, because that part of strategy plays a huge part in the final results
reemmo022-11-2024 - hahahaha love this shit! I didnt even watched the race, but reading all the gossip articles of how stupid this is!Zatoichi19-11-2024
- Van Aert is really handsome. He can influence me all day! Ditto for Philipsen. Why do you think many of us love cycling?: to see heroic attempts at climbing mountains at high altitudes or to watch speedsters sprint for the finish line or to watch a human being ride at break neck speed down a tricky descent? No, it's all about their lean physiques and muscular legs. (apologies for objectifying these dedicated and amazing athletes).BarwonHeadsUp25-10-2024
- It is unfortunate that the author can't feel the joy that Pogacar brings to the sport and his fans who are legion and I for one feel lucky to have watched such a memorable performance and historic season From the Strada until yesterday with multiple wins in stages in both tours and beyond dominance in the World's. He is proud to wear the Rainbow stripes, shows his leadership to protect his fellows and is as courteous and sportsman-like as the sport allows. He goes early to not have to respond to each attack as all the rest would make him do it. Any racer who could would do the same. Don't "grow tired" of greatness as it is always fleeting.ccrider13-10-2024
- What load of rubbish. Pog is likely a once in a generation cyclist, the like of which hasn't been seen since 'the Cannibal '. How many people were complaining that Merckx was making racing predictable? I remember this year's World RR as one of the most exciting I've watched. Mainly BECAUSE Pog was the favourite and launched what everyone thought (Pog included) was a suicidal attack with 80km to go. For the next 2 hours, I was on the edge of my seat thinking "this is too much, even for Pog". Maybe Zonnefeld prefers the snooze-fest that is a bunch sprint? Like most people I know, I can't watch two hours of the bunch riding very fast... I wait for the final 5km and watch just the sprint. In any event, most races are won from a sprint or lone break. What difference does it make who makes the lone break? Ultimately, the other contenders will have to figure out a way to beat Pog. Even if that means collaboration between teams. It's going to be an exciting few seasons, until the next Pog arrives on the scene. If this is boring, heaven knows what exciting looks like!Michael513-10-2024