{"id":191118,"date":"2022-11-19T09:44:15","date_gmt":"2022-11-19T09:44:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/?p=191118"},"modified":"2022-11-19T09:44:48","modified_gmt":"2022-11-19T09:44:48","slug":"can-remco-evenepoel-stay-the-course","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2022\/11\/19\/can-remco-evenepoel-stay-the-course\/","title":{"rendered":"Can Remco Evenepoel Stay the Course?"},"content":{"rendered":"

When you think of countries that are cycling powerhouses, which ones come to mind first? I bet Belgium made the list. And that\u2019s thanks to the country\u2019s deep roots in the sport and its long list of past and present cycling superstars like Eddy Merckx, Roger De Vlaeminck, Johan Museeuw, Wout van Aert, Greg Van Avermaet, and Tom Boonen, among others.<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

With this cycling prowess and these cumulative wins to their names, it\u2019s hard to believe it\u2019s been 44 years since a Belgian won a Grand Tour. In 2022, the drought was broken by 22-year-old Belgian Remco Evenepeol when he claimed victory at the Vuelta a Espa\u00f1a.<\/p>\n

Belgian Grand Tour Forefathers<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The last Belgian to win a Grand Tour before Remco was Johan De Muynck in the 1978 Giro d\u2019Italia. That\u2019s a massive gap of 44 years, something difficult to fathom from this cycling fan\u2019s point of view. And as a non-Belgian, I can only imagine the enormity of Remo\u2019s Vuelta win in the eyes of his fellow patriots.<\/p>\n

The last Belgian to triumph at the Vuelta was Freddy Maertens in 1977. He did it in impressive style, winning 13 stages, including the first and last. And the last fellow countryman to win the Tour de France<\/a> was Lucien Impe in 1976.<\/p>\n

The most distinguished Belgian cyclist, and arguably the greatest of all time, is Eddy Merckx.<\/a> He has 11 Grand Tours, three World Championships, an hour record, five Monuments and 525 total victories over his 18-year career as a pro. Between 1970 and 1974, he even accomplished a Grand Tour double, meaning he won two Grand Tours in one year. He has only one Vuelta victory, in 1973.<\/p>\n

Remco Mania<\/strong><\/h2>\n

If you\u2019ve been stranded on a desert island, Evenepoel’s Tour of Spain triumph may have gone unnoticed. But a mere three weeks later, young Remco achieved another impressive feat with a 34-km solo breakaway, becoming the 2022 UCI World Road Champion in Wollongong, Australia.<\/p>\n

Remco\u2019s precocious skill as a cyclist, remember he\u2019s only 22, made him a budding star at home. Ending the 44-year Grand Tour drought and donning the Rainbow Bands in Australia transformed him into the pride of every Belgian citizen and a household name. And he received a hero\u2019s welcome. Impressive crowds flooded the Grote Markt (Grand-Place) in Brussels to catch a glimpse of King Remco and celebrate a moment of Flemish cycling history.<\/p>\n

\"Remco<\/a>
Evenepoel celebrates in Brussels after his Vuelta win. \u00a9 Profimedia<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Despite his age, Remco has been racing professionally since the age of 18 for the Belgian team Deceuninck-Quick Step. His Vuelta and World Championship achievements were part of a dream season that included a Monument (Li\u00e8ge-Bastogne-Li\u00e8ge) and 15 wins from 67 days of racing. Impressive stuff. If he continues in this fashion, he\u2019s on target to meet or exceed Merckx in total victories.<\/p>\n

Yet Remco\u2019s path as a pro hasn\u2019t been without criticism or problems. At 20, he suffered a massive crash in the 2020 Il Lombardia, going over the edge of a narrow bridge and into the ravine below. The result was a potentially career-ending fractured pelvis, and a bruised lung. He lost an entire year of racing, recovering and getting back into the fold.<\/p>\n

Prior to the Worlds, Remco received negative comments about how he handles himself in races. Some say he is criticised only because the Belgian media and fans are desperate for him to become the next \u201cCannibal\u201d. Others praise him for his willingness to work for others. In either case, I can\u2019t imagine the pressure he feels.<\/p>\n

Future Grand Tours<\/strong><\/h2>\n

To silence critics and appease the expectation of Belgian fans, Remco needs to add victory in the Tour de France to his list of results. He\u2019s shown he can climb and time trial. But winning the Grand Boucle is never an easy feat, and he\u2019ll need to have a team built up around him to achieve it.<\/p>\n

His attendance at the 2023 Tour seems unrealistic based on Quick Step Alpha Vinyl\u2019s current team roster. 2024 is a different matter. Strategic trades could reinforce the squad toward the Tour goal. But is it on their radar? Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl has traditionally gone for one-day victories and Grand Tour stages as opposed to general classifications. Remco could change that. And a win in France would bring an influx of valuable sponsorships to secure the team for years to come.<\/p>\n

Can Remco stay the course and handle the additional pressure that comes with global fame? Time will tell. If he wins the Tour in 2024 or beyond, he will break an even longer record of 48 years or more since a Belgian wore yellow in Paris. There are many contenders along the way, which simply means more excellent racing for hungry spectators to enjoy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When you think of countries that are cycling powerhouses, which ones come to mind first? I bet Belgium made the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":99,"featured_media":191119,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[329],"tags":[5954,954,2298,5755,6769,479,3544,583],"global-categories":[3366],"class_list":["post-191118","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-road-cycling","tag-2022-la-vuelta","tag-eddy-merckx","tag-freddy-maertens","tag-il-lombardia","tag-johan-de-muynck","tag-la-vuelta","tag-remco-evenepoel","tag-road-cycling","global-categories-cycling"],"yoast_head":"\nCan Remco Evenepoel Stay the Course? - \u0160koda We Love Cycling<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"When you think of countries that are cycling powerhouses, which ones come to mind first? I bet Belgium made the list. 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