How Visma and UAE unintentionally help Soudal Quick-Step use both Evenepoel and Merlier in the Tour

On Thursday, almost everyone from Soudal Quick-Step gathered on the Costa Blanca to attend the team presentation of the Belgian formation. I emphasize 'almost' because the person on whom the formation relies most was absent. Remco Evenepoel had to go for a check-up at the hospital in Herentals and could not be present in Calpe. He was able to speak to the press via a video link.

On their media day, the team announced that it would not focus solely on Evenepoel in the Tour de France. European champion Tim Merlier will also be there, aiming to claim the first yellow jersey in Lille. In addition, Mikel Landa, who will also ride the Giro d'Italia in May, will take part in La Grande Boucle. He finished fifth in last year's Tour de France.

Evenepoel was allowed a brief video call on the big screen as a double Olympic champion. "It's been a tough period," he began with a sigh. "I could not do anything, unfortunately." He did manage to tell a bit about his program, though. "I hope to start in the Ardennes classics in mid-April. Then we'll see how it goes. I hope my preparation for the Tour de France will be the same as last year: lots of altitude training, the Dauphiné and the Belgian Championships."

"Nothing crazy, nothing special. A small number of race days is necessary to recover completely," the Belgian rider added. When he crashed in December, Evenepoel suffered a broken rib, shoulder blade, hand, lung contusion, a dislocated collarbone, and torn ligaments in the shoulder after colliding with the door of a van.

Read more below the photo!

Evenepoel speaks to international press at media day Soudal Quick-Step 

Remco, you've been in Herentals. Do you have a medical update for us?
"Everything is pretty okay. I have indeed had a scan. Getting there was already a hassle because of the snow falling, but in the end, I exited with positive news. I get to restart my rehab, and I'm looking forward to a lot of physio work and training inside, so I'm a happy man."

When will you be allowed to start cycling outside again?
"The shoulder is recovering nicely but not completely healed yet. Give us another month to ride on the rollers, and then, hopefully, eight weeks after the injury, we will be able to start cycling outside again. Then I won't have ridden outside for two months, and I hope everything is healing properly."

How difficult is it for you that everyone is in Calpe?
"That's not easy. Everyone is preparing, but the form has only been deteriorating for five weeks with me. Add to that the four weeks of vacation, and you're already down for two and a half months. Accepting that was very difficult. It hasn't been an easy month, but I still learned a lot. I will try to come out of this stronger, but I'll give myself time to do it right."

How did you experience this period?
"It hasn't been easy. We had a lovely vacation in Morocco and a trip to Formula One in Qatar, so the whole winter was favorable. So, I crashed on the day I was supposed to restart training. That made it hard to accept because I was out of form then. It had been five weeks since I had done any serious sports: I had not been in the gym and had no physical training. Then you know it's going to be hard to find form again. I came off a high in the summer but went to one of the lowest moments in my career. That contrast was big."

What has been the impact on your and your wife's daily lives?
"I can start doing things again now, so that's nice. But it hasn't always been easy for both of us. She normally has her study period when I'm at training camp. Then she could focus on her studies, but now I was at home with a broken shoulder. She's handled it well."

The intention is to be at the start of the classics in the Ardennes; is that correct?
"That's right. That still takes a good three months until the Brabantse Pijl. If everything goes well and smoothly, that is certainly possible. Hopefully, I can finish all four, and if I can, I can add the Tour de Romandie to add some race rhythm. From then on, it will be copied and pasted onto the Tour."

Aren't those challenging races to return to?
"Probably, but I think I know the roads there well. That's already a bonus. The Brabantse Pijl is on my home roads, which is also good for morale. I think it's better to start with a one-day race, and that's also why we're canceling the Giro. That's where I started in 2021 after my injury."

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Can you already be at your best on the tour?
"I was lucky to get this injury in December. I want to reach excellence in the Tour, so that's also why we chose a compact schedule in the spring. If everything goes well until the Tour's start, I have no doubts that I can put in good form. That's another seven months, which should be enough."

If you were to win the white jersey again and finish third at the Tour, would you sign for that?
"I would sign for it if I can secure two stage wins again. But I also want a better time result in the GC because that would be a nice step forward."

Tim Merlier will also ride the Tour. Do you think your ambitions match?
"We went to the United States together for tests in the wind tunnel. Tim showed that he was the fastest in the peloton last year, so you want to take a guy like that on the tour. Knowing that the first stage is one for the sprinters. On the days he sprints, Bert and Tim also see they will have to protect me.

Knowing what teams the UAE-Team Emirates and Visma | Lease a Bike have and the way they want and will control, it's clear that we don't have those seven guys. We also want to spread our ambitions with Tim and myself."

How did you hear about Patrick Lefevere's departure?
"He announced it shortly before. I think he called me 15 minutes before he told the team. That was a shock. It was unexpected, but you can only respect it. I'm very proud to have been able to ride for him, and I owe him a lot."

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