Koen Pelgrim, the Dutch trainer of Remco Evenepoel, said: "We are fine-tuning a bit"

Remco Evenepoel kicks off his 2024 cycling campaign this Saturday at the Figuiera Champions Classic in Portugal. Once again, the Belgian rider is eyeing significant achievements in collaboration with his team, Soudal Quick-Step, and trainer Koen Pelgrim. In an interview with IDLProCycling.com during the Belgian formation's media day in Calpe, Pelgrim shared insights into their preparations.

Pelgrim, an exercise scientist, has been part of Patrick Lefevere's team for several years, accruing valuable experience with Evenepoel, the team's leading cyclist. While Evenepoel sets his sights on participating in his first full Tour de France in 2024, the primary objective isn't necessarily winning the prestigious race. Pelgrim elaborates on the team's annual plan.

Koen, we'd like to hear your thoughts on Evenepoel's program for 2024.

It's not overly packed, but the races selected are all prestigious and meaningful. We could potentially reduce the number of races, but Remco genuinely enjoys competing and draws motivation from it. There are some exciting objectives in the mix, which align well with his strengths.

We've noticed a trend with riders like Roglic and Vingegaard reducing their race load. Even Pogacar seems to be scaling back on his participation in one-day races, possibly due to his fall at Liege last year.

"Well, accidents can happen in both stage races and one-day events. Unless you're specifically targeting a race like Paris-Roubaix... Remco thrives in one-day races and has achieved considerable success in them. As a two-time winner of Liège-Bastogne-Liège, it's a logical goal for him, and he can also target other Ardennes classics. When you're in good form and living nearby..."

Does this necessitate a different training approach? The demands of races like Basque Country versus Liège seem quite distinct in terms of explosiveness.

"The focus may shift slightly, as the efforts are shorter in Basque Country, typically lasting ten to fifteen minutes, compared to Liège-Bastogne-Liège, where efforts can range from five to sometimes ten minutes. This is entirely different from the Tour, where efforts can extend to twenty minutes or even an hour. There might be some adjustments in terms of weight, but there's still plenty of time to adapt post-spring."

Understood. A podium finish is the team's goal for Remco, but knowing his competitive nature, will he be content with just a podium? He's a natural winner...

"We're certainly aiming for stage wins as well; there's also a time trial... Remco has a winning mentality, but we also need to be realistic. It's evident that some riders have a slight edge in Grand Tours. They're more likely to be the ones to beat than Remco, so it would be ambitious to solely target the overall win. A podium finish in the Tour would be fantastic, but we'd also be satisfied with stage victories and a strong overall classification."

In the previous Vuelta, Remco - like everyone else - was highly impressed with Jumbo-Visma and their complete dominance. Is that still a topic that is occasionally discussed, for instance, when making plans or selections?

"Not directly. Everyone needs to focus on their own performance. In the Giro, we faced some unfortunate circumstances, but I believe the team performed well there. Once again, we have the potential to assemble a strong team for the Tour. When you consider all the names, it's definitely a formidable lineup."

Who exactly is certain about their participation? Kasper Asgreen mentioned he's uncertain about his role; I'd assume he'd be a key player in a similar role to Dylan van Baarle.

"The final lineup hasn't been confirmed yet, so it's up to the team management to announce. Several riders, if they're in top form, will join us, but we're aiming for a diverse selection."

I'll make a note to include Mikel Landa as well. As his trainer, how much room for improvement do you think Remco still has? He's still quite young, a fact we tend to overlook sometimes.

"There's always room for improvement, but each advancement means the subsequent ones might be smaller. The essence of the sport is always about pushing one's limits. Remco had a productive winter, and the initial signs are promising. Considering his age, it wouldn't be surprising if he makes further progress, although he has already reached a high level for some time now. We're fine-tuning things, experimenting to see what works and what doesn't."

From within the peloton, there is a growing respect for Remco and his approach. Romain Bardet mentioned feeling that Remco possesses "something special." How do you perceive this, and what is it like working with him as an athlete?

"It's truly enjoyable to work with such exceptional talent. It presents an additional challenge, particularly because the stakes are higher. There's a need for excellence, which adds to the responsibility as a trainer. It also ensures continuous learning, enriching my experience as a coach. Overall, I find it to be a very rewarding collaboration.

"Over the years, it's become apparent that Remco has always been as motivated and driven as he is now. However, in the beginning, he still had much to learn. While his talent was evident from the start, he has notably become much more composed during races. This evolution is natural; most riders learn this as they progress, but Remco was already under intense scrutiny. Consequently, he made some mistakes along the way, which he undoubtedly learned from. Through the various challenges and setbacks he's encountered, he has grown significantly in recent years.

"You're Dutch, but Remco has also spent time with a Dutch host family due to his PSV background. Is there a special connection there compared to his Belgian roots?"

(Pilgrim laughs) "Not directly. I've been a lifelong Ajax fan, so that's not something Remco and I have in common."

"Remco is a true winner, and some may not see that as typically Belgian. However, people often like to categorize individuals. Remco is also outspoken, a trait sometimes associated with stereotypical Dutch behavior. But everyone has their own unique characteristics, and I don't believe we should attribute them solely to nationality."