The super year examined: Evenepoel candid about revenge goals and the autumn blow after a top summer

"I made significant progress at the highest level again," he begins his account. "Let’s not forget that after my crash in the Tour of the Basque Country, I was out of action for three weeks during a time when I would normally be at my best. The Ardennes classics were major goals for me. Sure, Tadej Pogacar was competing in Liège-Bastogne-Liège. But I would have been in it to win regardless. Just like in the Basque Country itself."

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In Paris-Nice, Evenepoel started his WorldTour year a bit hesitantly. Due to the weather and a "stumble" in stage six, he couldn't secure the yellow jersey there. "Paris-Nice is a race I definitely want to go back to," he says emphatically. "I was very stable that spring, steadily improving. But due to the rehabilitation from my collarbone and shoulder blade fractures, I automatically found myself pressed for time ahead of the Tour," he reflects, transitioning to the disrupted spring.

"I had to go from zero to peak in just two months. My form in May was worse than at the end of the winter break," he explains. "In the summer, I managed to check off everything I had set out to achieve—and even more. After the Olympics, I experienced that rush toward ideal condition and the tons of energy I had invested, which I ended up cashing in," he concludes about the end of his season, where he initially peaked and then simply felt drained and empty.

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Without much expectation, but with a clean slate, Evenepoel arrived at the start of the Tour in Florence. "But I was in good shape. And then I was also super relaxed. I never really stressed in situations because I more or less knew what level Pogacar would reach, which made it easier to formulate a realistic ambition. From the moment he and Vingegaard pushed hard uphill, I had to find my own pace to avoid blowing up. That way, I got the most out of it," he analyzes his third-place finish.

To climb further up the Tour ladder, Evenepoel doesn’t make it harder than it is. A flawless preparation without crashes must be a goal. "But above all, we need to work on their approach and my data on those final climbs. We may need to adjust certain training methods so that I can keep up longer and lose less time in the coming years." He then excelled at the Olympics, where everything has already been said and written, and after an intense autumn, he also claimed the world championship title in the time trial. Following that, a second place in Lombardije during injury time was the best he could achieve before the young Belgian can now enjoy some well-deserved rest.

Finally, Evenepoel will still be riding for Soudal Quick-Step next year. He has no doubts about his team, as long as the good understanding remains. "I made my dreams and goals clear from the beginning: here, in this team, I want to win the classic Monuments, the three Grand Tours, and become world champion. I have already achieved quite a bit of that. But there's still a lot to accomplish. As for the Tour: it's no simple mission. It's very labor-intensive and can only be realized within the right, meticulously fine-tuned structure."