Belgian Criticizes ‘Shit Roads’ of Central Paris After Recon Ride with Wout van Aert
Remco Evenepoel has revealed he may not be ‘100 percent’ for Saturday’s Olympic Games time trial after his gruelling battle for a place on the podium at the Tour de France left him fatigued and pessimistic.
The 24-year-old Belgian stayed in the South of France after Sunday’s final time trial stage and the evening podium ceremony alongside Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard. However, he struggled to train before traveling to Paris on Wednesday to do vital reconnaissance of the 32.4km course.
He described the city centre part of the course as “shit roads,” and conceded he might not recover from his huge effort at the Tour de France to take on other medal contenders such as Italy’s Filippo Ganna and Great Britain’s Josh Tarling, who have trained specifically for the time trial as Evenepoel raced the Tour de France.
“I always aim high but I know that I may not be 100 percent. If I’m beaten purely on performance, then I won’t complain,” Evenepoel told Sporza and other Belgian media on Thursday in the countdown to Saturday’s time trial.
“I spent most of Monday in bed, I rode a bit on Tuesday but I didn’t feel great, the same on Wednesday and Thursday. I have to wait and see how it goes on Saturday. It has been a demanding final week in the Tour. Recovering is not easy, but I still have two days.
“We’ll see if it’s enough. I came out of the Tour full of confidence and that already gives me a mental advantage.”
Evenepoel and Wout Van Aert will ride Saturday’s time trial for Belgium, with Lotte Kopecky a favourite for the women’s time trial. She revealed she was hit by COVID-19 after riding the Giro d’Italia Women stage race, where she finished second overall on July 14.
