However in the case of Il Lombardia and the Soudal-QuickStep chief’s last race of his landmark, however rollercoaster, 2024? As weariness from a yr which has additionally included a troublesome crash and accidents this April, no person is actually certain, to the purpose the place, as Evenepoel instructed reporters on Friday afternoon, even getting via to the end of Il Lombardia at Como would in some methods represent successful.
Not solely is Evenepoel’s type unpredictable however what sort of result’s achievable is much more unsure given he’s going through – like each different contender bar one in Il Lombardia – a standout favorite of the calibre of three-times former winner Tadej Pogačar (UAE Workforce Emirates).
On the plus aspect, Evenepoel says he has no sense of foreboding in regards to the second when he and the peloton will cross the Colma di Sormano, the scene of his horrible accident again in 2020, this Saturday. It seemingly helps that this yr’s race is heading in the wrong way to 4 years, uphill fairly than downhill. Arguably much more importantly, although, the Belgian defined after going to see the location of his crash again in 2021, he has already labored via any ghosts of the previous.
A way more current high-profile race accident with a significantly extra tragic final result, that of Muriel Furrer within the World Championships junior girls’s street race two weeks in the past, was additionally the topic of an open query relating to rider security in Evenepoel’s press convention.
Evenepoel quietly identified in his reply that “it is less than me to say issues like – now we have to alter this or that. ” However he additionally put his finger on one key difficulty of the harrowing occasions of September 26 in Zurich – that ‘the primary downside was no person knew in regards to the crash.”
And even when he didn’t need to take a selected stance, the Belgian nonetheless argued cogently and powerfully that this absence of knowledge being offered rapidly may properly strengthen the case for in-race radios for riders, in at the least some occasions.
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“After all, what occurred in Zurich was a racing accident and the one factor I might say is that if there have been riders with radio communication, you could possibly talk it [the accident] to the automobile and the automobile may talk with the jury [race commissaires],” he started by saying. “Then at the least the ambulance may have come method faster.
“In order that’s possibly a cause why radio communication ought to be allowed in worldwide championships – the Worlds, Europeans, Olympics… As a result of I feel on this case that was the primary downside in Zurich, that no person knew in regards to the crash.
“There have been riders round. However after all, in case you see anyone crash, you’d at all times suppose ‘okay, the particular person is simply going to face up and proceed the race’.
“Like I stated, if there have been no [TV] pictures and no person noticed it from the automobiles and the riders couldn’t say something, then I feel that [absence of information] was the largest downside on this case.
“However after all, it is less than me to say issues like – now we have to alter this or that. I feel now we have already stated quite a bit additionally final yr with Gino [Mäder, who died in a crash in the 2023 Tour de Suisse – Ed.] with a downhill end, with no safety on the aspect of the street to cease him going right into a ravine.
“I feel what I simply talked about now could be the second huge factor. That at the least whenever you see it occurring, you possibly can talk it to the automobile and so they can talk it to the jury and actions might be taken.”
Return to the Colma di Sormano
Evenepoel within the peloton throughout the 2020 Il Lombardia earlier than his horror crash (Picture credit score: Getty Photos)
To say that Evenepoel is aware of of the fortune he had personally in such circumstances was true about his personal main crash in Il Lombardia 2020. TV pictures confirmed him spinning over a low-lying stone wall on a bridge on the descent of the Colma di Sormano, and after he was discovered inside a query of minutes, the rescue companies may start their work to save lots of him way more rapidly.
“I’ve bought over that second,” he stated when requested if the crash was nonetheless a nasty reminiscence or if he had bought over it.
“I visited the place final yr after the race and I feel that was resolution to simply have a second there, for myself and with [partner] Oumi, wanting on the level the place every little thing occurred, attempting to analyse what I did fallacious.
“I feel that helped me loads, with having a bit much less worry on the roads spherical right here. and simply usually.”
It was resolution for this yr’s Il Lombardia to go up the Sormano and never down, he stated, given how so many different riders have crashed there up to now, however he insisted that “I am utterly over that second. It in all probability solely made me mature and helped me in plenty of methods to just accept issues a bit extra simply than I did earlier than.”
“It does not imply something particular to me and I’ve achieved some nice issues since then. I may cross the bridge on a golden bike” – painted in that color in recognition of his lately gained standing as Olympic champion – “and that claims sufficient.”
This yr’s race
2023 Il Lombardia: Evenepoel on the sign-on (Picture credit score: Getty Photos)
With that episode firmly up to now, Evenepoel is clearly able to deal with the race itself. Having performed one recon of the Il Lombardia route – modified, but once more, in 2024 – Evenepoel says he is aware of many of the finale, however that in any case, the query mark stays over his underlying situation.
Given the Colma di Sormano – the second final climb within the 2024 race is 13km lengthy, “It is a very demanding last,” Evenepoel reasoned “However then it’s kind of unusual with the lengthy flat half now we have to the [last climb] of San Fermo della Battaglia.”
“It is particular to go up an extended climb on the final race of the season, asking for lots of vitality. However then, then again, I hope to achieve Como, which might already be a profitable achievement for me this yr. So it is a very good course.”
The crunch difficulty for Evenepoel, then, is how far he’s wavering away from his prime type and whether or not he can but produce a serious efficiency in consequence. On the plus aspect, in contrast to different prime names like Primož Roglič (Pink Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) this week who’ve already opted to drag down the blinds on their 2024 season, the truth that he’s taking half in Il Lombardia says there may be room for some optimism.
Nonetheless, as Evenepoel defined, via no fault of his personal his season has been a really irregular one because of the crash and damaged collarbone in Itzulia-Basque Nation this spring. So going into Il Lombardia his default place proper now could be to hedge his bets and see what occurs out on the street.
“I feel in case you have a wholesome yr with no issues, then every little thing is feasible to maintain in prime form. I proved that in 2022 after I was at a really excessive stage from June to the final week of the season,” he stated.
“However this yr I used to be in a rush after Basque to get into form for the month of July and I am simply paying for {that a} bit proper now. it’s kind of extra of a wrestle to maintain the great form.”
“So it is nearly getting via and seeing what the end result shall be. Like I stated, with the damage earlier than the Tour after which getting sick after the Olympics, it wasn’t one of the best preparation for the Worlds and these races.
“I am nonetheless ok to carry out. If that is for the win or not, that is one thing I can’t inform for the second.”
As for the way he sees the 2024 Race of the Falling Leaves enjoying out, Evenepoel believes 4 early labeled climbs will make the primary a part of this version of Lombardia is a lot more durable than the final 100km. Because of this, the primary consequence is an enormous battle for a robust breakaway shall be virtually inevitable.
However the second consequence of the onerous begin is probably going the one which pursuits a prime contender like Evenepoel essentially the most. Preserving the legs contemporary for the ultimate a part of the race after such a troublesome early problem, he stated will seemingly be key to success in a race as unpredictable as Il Lombardia and with the doubts round his present type, much more so.
Planning for 2025
Though that is the final Monument of the season, that is Evenepoel’s first of the yr, given he needed to skip Liège-Bastogne-Liège due to his Itzulia accidents. It is hardly stunning then, that after a dearth of participation in one-day racing already curiosity is mounting relating to his 2025 plans for the Classics.
The Belgian was blissful to make use of his last pre-race press convention of 2024 to debate his preliminary concepts for subsequent Spring. However it was extra to ship a primary spherical of damping down any house expectations that he’ll be making his keenly awaited debut within the Tour of Flanders, fairly than to offer any bombshell information about De Ronde.
“For subsequent yr we’ll need to see;” he stated. “In all probability the Flemish Classics are a bit tough on this program for my greater objectives and the issues I actually need to obtain – let’s not say as quick as potential however fairly quickly.”
“If there’s a Basic that possibly might be performed in 2025, it will be San Remo. It will be tough to do the opposite Classics subsequent Spring – apart from the Ardennes after all. However the Flemish ones and San Remo – there is a greater likelihood I will be not doing them than doing them.”
The place Evenepoel will certainly be lining up, although, after all, shall be in Il Lombardia on Saturday, for what’s his fourth participation in 5 editions and with a hope of bettering on his career-best inserting of ninth final yr.
But come what could on the roads of northern Italy this weekend, after a season just like the Belgian’s, something he achieves in his first and last Monument of 2024 can solely be thought of a bonus.
