Evenepoel reveals why he finished in tears and why he believes he's the one to challenge Pogacar

"Very satisfied, I got the most out of myself," Evenepoel told VTM in the mixed zone. The gap to winner Pogacar was over three minutes, which was substantial, but the Olympic champion also left the rest of the pack on a gap of more than a minute and a half, fighting for that final podium slot. "Tadej was, as expected, outstanding, and I finished far ahead of the others. It's a bit like my result in the Tour de France."

In the Tour, Evenepoel finished third in the general classification, also far behind Pogacar and slightly closer to Jonas Vingegaard. He hadn’t entirely expected to pull off a solo of over thirty kilometers. "When Pogacar attacked, I didn’t want to blow myself up, and that turned out to be the right decision. By the time I reached the top, I had a small gap on Enric Mas and Lennert Van Eetvelt, so I took some risks on the descent. That’s how I managed to increase the lead. I just did my thing and made no mistakes."

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No one seems overly concerned about Pogacar anymore. "Just accept it. It’s been like that all season," Evenepoel said seriously. "From Strade and Liège to the Giro and Tour, and now today… The goal now is to close the gap over the winter. If anyone can do it, I believe I can. I’m going to work hard, keep my confidence in myself and the team, and not lose hope."

"It’s been a long season, especially without a break in the summer due to my injury," Evenepoel noted, referring to his crash in the Tour of the Basque Country. "Earlier in the week, things didn’t look so good, but today I had another strong day. The form hasn’t disappeared just like that, and I haven’t lost my confidence. That’s positive for next season. If I can get through the season without issues, maybe I can win here in Lombardy someday."

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What are Evenepoel's plans for the coming weeks? "The plan is to just rest a bit and be at home. Oumi (his wife, ed.) is in her last year of university, so it’s my turn to support her a bit," he told Sporza, noting that Oumi had surprised him with a visit at the race on Saturday. "I mainly want to enjoy being with friends and family. It’s been a long time, especially since my injury in April when I didn’t see many people."

While talking to IDLProCycling.com and other media outlets,  the still-young Belgian reflected on the tears that flowed freely before, during and after the finish. "The fans have always supported me. Four years ago, I fell into a ravine here and ended up in the hospital, so this is a personal victory. Finally, I’ve reached the finish here." His emotion was accompanied by a heartfelt message to his team director, Davide Bramati, who was in the team car, just like in 2020. "Four years ago, you saved my life — this one’s for you," said Evenepoel, as captured in a video from his team.