Inside Evenepoel’s inner circle: The coach behind his success and setbacks

On the official Soudal-Quick Step website, he is described as an "important resource," but in 2025, Koen Pelgrim is much more than that. The Dutch coach has been preparing Remco Evenepoel for all his races for years, something he described a year ago as "an extra challenge." The young Belgian finished third in the Tour de France and won two Olympic gold medals but also suffered two serious injuries. How did Pelgrim handle those setbacks, and how does he guide Evenepoel’s new direct domestiques, who must now step up in his absence? IDLProCycling.com had an in-depth conversation with him.

Pelgrim hardly needs an introduction anymore. After earning his master’s degree in movement sciences, he joined Soudal-Quick Step’s development team. When that turned out to be a great fit, he moved up to the WorldTour squad. His responsibilities now include coordinating training, conducting tests, analyzing performance data, and contributing to sports physiology and nutrition to enhance cycling performance. His own cycling career never really took off, but as a coach with The Wolfpack, he has become a key figure, overseeing the team’s climbing group.

Even Maximilian Schachmann’s return to Soudal-Quick Step this winter was partly influenced by Pelgrim’s presence. The German rider had already worked with him during his first stint with the team and spoke highly of the coach in an interview with this website. "First and foremost, he’s a funny and pleasant person. Your coach is the person you have the most contact with—almost daily—so it’s crucial to connect on a personal level. But above all, Koen does his homework. I don't know much about the science behind it, but he definitely knows what he's doing."

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Maximilian Schachmann

Why is Koen Pelgrim so beloved at Soudal-Quick Step?

Koen, who exactly are you coaching in 2025?

"Uh, well, obviously Remco—about nine out of ten of my interviews end up being about him, haha. But I also coach the now-returned Maximilian Schachmann, Ilan Van Wilder, Ethan Hayter, Martin Svrček, and Mikel Landa."

Schachmann speaks very highly of you, and there are already a thousand interviews where Remco does the same. Without being too modest, do you have any idea why you're so beloved?

"Phew, no idea, really, haha. You just try to do your job as best as you can, and if the guys are happy with that, then it’s a great compliment. I had a good working relationship with Schachmann in his previous stint—he’s a guy with his own ideas, and he’s not afraid to put them on the table. But he’s also not too stubborn when you offer a different perspective."

Now, a Flemish working environment can be quite different from the Dutch one, so how do you approach your work and position yourself within the team?

"I don't think I'm a stereotypical Dutchman in that regard. You learn how to navigate different cultures and personalities. This team has riders from all over the world, each with a different mindset. You have to adapt to get the best out of them. You need a personal working style, but you also have to adjust based on a rider's personality and what motivates or holds them back. It’s never a one-size-fits-all approach—I really tailor my coaching to each individual."

Schachmann likes to be very open and direct, and Remco is also someone who speaks his mind. Do you prefer working that way, or do you also coach riders who require a more gentle hand?

"They’re all different. Remco is a real character—he's a born winner. Schachmann has that, too, but there are also guys who operate differently. I enjoy it when riders have their own ideas so we can discuss and refine the plan together. If you have a rider who thinks everything is great all the time and executes it on his own, that gives a lot of confidence, but I think you can really be your best self, if you also contribute your own input. You can’t always read what’s going on inside someone’s head. That’s why feedback is crucial. I personally like working with riders who are very direct."

Have things ever gotten heated behind closed doors, or are you not the type of coach that happens with?

"Not really. Of course, sometimes we have different perspectives, but that’s part of the process. I’m not the type of coach who dictates everything from above and expects riders to blindly follow orders. I don’t get angry easily. A coach’s job is to explain why a specific training plan is in place and to get the rider to buy into it. You need to reach a mutual agreement. A rider has to feel comfortable and not be afraid of you—otherwise, you’ll never get the best out of them."

Do you have an example of a time when a rider actually convinced you to change your approach?

"Hmm, let me think about that for a second—nothing immediately comes to mind. But of course, we always analyze things afterward with the riders, and based on that, we sometimes adjust our plans. They’re human beings, not robots. We have certain beliefs, but we don’t know everything. Some things work for most riders, but there are cases where they don’t. For example, with altitude training camps, we’ve had instances where, after two or three times, we had to conclude that it didn’t really add much value for a specific rider. Then, the following year, we try a different approach. That kind of evaluation is crucial; you have to adjust when necessary instead of stubbornly sticking to one vision."

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Pilgrim and Evenepoel at work on the cycling track, early 2024

Evenepoel did have a hard time mentally after another setback

Right now, you coach a lot of GC contenders and stage race riders. Do you think you have the best impact on that type of rider?

"Hmm, not necessarily. Some years, you work with a fixed group, and sometimes riders leave, allowing you to take on new ones. For years, I worked with the team’s sprinters—guys like Kittel, Gaviria, Jakobsen, Hodeg, and Bennett. I was also involved in their training, and that worked out well, too."

Do you prefer coaching one type of rider over the other?

"It’s totally different. Coaching a climber is almost simpler because you’re primarily focusing on just one key trait. With a sprinter, there are more variables to consider. You need explosiveness and speed, but also endurance to still perform in the final. If you focus too much on endurance, it can take away from the top speed. So, it’s a tricky balance. That was always an interesting puzzle to figure out. Both types of riders come with their own challenges."

Are you the primary coach for the climbers around Evenepoel because you know what Remco needs?

"It’s not like I train those guys specifically for Remco’s benefit. But their preparation often follows a similar trajectory, especially leading up to the Tour de France. We do a lot of training camps together, which makes it easier to guide all of them throughout the year. That way, I get to know them well, stay closely involved, and can see if their buildup is going according to plan. Heading into a Tour, it’s valuable to understand everyone’s background without having to check in with other trainers about how things have been going."

Schachmann and Hayter were quite critical of their last periods with their previous teams. How do you mentally rebuild riders like that?

"When you start working with a new rider, you take the time to listen to what went well and what didn’t in the past few years. A lot went right, but some things also went wrong in their previous teams. They learn from that and bring those lessons with them. Together, we look at what we should keep, what we should leave behind, and what needs to change. That way, they go into the winter with confidence in the new approach, which helps them regain their old level. Hopefully, that pays off."

How was Remco Evenepoel doing mentally, after his crash in December?.

"Crashing is never fun. You’ve just come out of the offseason, you’re building up again, and then you have a stupid crash. First, you’re shaken because you immediately feel something is wrong. Then, when you later find out that the damage is worse than expected, and you’ll be sidelined longer than you initially thought, it just piles up. It was setback after setback for Remco, and of course, he wasn’t happy about it. The first phase was tough because he couldn’t do anything—he was in pain, sleeping poorly, and was only allowed to rest. That period lasted quite a while, but once he was able to train again, he flipped the switch and started looking forward. Every day, he made progress, so I noticed that shift happening quickly. With each new day, he had a goal to work towards again."

He seems mentally very strong, having dealt with many setbacks in the past... Was this crash maybe a little too much?

"I don’t think it was a breaking point. He’s back to work, and once he’s competing again, we’ll see a strong Remco. Setbacks are never enjoyable, and if they happen too often, they can wear you down mentally. But at this moment, I don’t think that’s the case."

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Evenepoel is training hard again

How strong are Landa, Van Wilder, and Schachmann now that they’re stepping out of Evenepoel’s shadow?

"With Remco out, your other three guys—Van Wilder, Schachmann, and Landa—had to and still have to step up for the team. Looking at their top-10 results in the Algarve, how are they doing?"

"In principle, we’ve always tried to give them their own opportunities rather than having them solely work for Remco. These are riders who can do well in general classifications on their own. Mikel has already proven himself, and Ilan is still young, someone we want to give chances to. That’s an important motivation and also a learning experience. Even before Remco’s injury, we had planned moments where they would get freedom. So, with him out, not much has changed. He was supposed to do Paris-Nice or Tirreno-Adriatico with Landa, and now Landa gets his own shot. Ilan was already going to lead in one of the two races, so that plan stays the same."

How good can all three of them be? Are we going to be surprised by them stepping out of Evenepoel’s shadow?

"We can’t call Mikel a surprise anymore if he’s up there in a race. He has been very consistent for years, and we expect him to continue that this season. Ilan had a very strong winter, and he showed things in training that he couldn’t do last year. So, he’s at least at the same level, but we hope he has taken another step forward. He has already finished fourth in races like the UAE Tour and Romandie, and if you improve just a little, you suddenly find yourself on the podium in those types of races. That would be a huge mental boost for him. As for Schachmann, he also had a good winter, but with him, it’s still a bit of a wait-and-see how things unfold. However, we are confident that he can get back to his old level."

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