What is the difference between Van der Poel and Evenepoel? "If you don’t do that, he doesn’t like it"

Vervaeke feels completely at home at Soudal Quick-Step. A significant factor to this is the friendship among the riders: Evenepoel has become one of his best friends. "That’s also why I love this team. There are many riders I get along with well, including Remco. That relationship has grown a lot because I wasn’t looking for a friend. But because we’ve raced together a lot and experienced so much stress together, that creates a bond. And also the altitude training camps, where you spend hours and days together in a small room."

It’s been over three years since the Belgian was last on the same team as Van der Poel. "When I see Mathieu now, I always have a little chat with him in the peloton, and we have fun," he says about the former world champion. "I thought he was a really good leader, but he really loves to have fun. You can feel that he does this because he enjoys it. He’s not doing it for money or his ego."

Both Van der Poel and Evenepoel are at the absolute top of the world in their respective fields, but how do the two compare to one another? "They’re very different in terms of personality. Mathieu is perhaps a bit more relaxed. Of course, he’s also incredibly strong, but Remco is ruthless. And I love that about him. He’s like a street fighter. He really goes for it, and he wants to beat everyone. He’s a real fighter. As a teammate, you have to step up your game to be part of the team. Because if you don’t, he doesn’t like it."