It's starting to become quite noticeable. A few weeks ago, Christian Prudhomme already mentioned it. The director of the Tour de France was eagerly hoping for the participation of Remco Evenepoel. He could do well in France, the big boss was certain of that. Evenepoel could turn the Tour upside down. That's how crazy and good he finds the young Belgian. Last Tuesday, he also openly hoped that Evenepoel would already drop by at Paris-Nice. To get warmed up for a year full of races in France during that competition. Paris-Nice. Then the trees are still bare, and winter time is still in effect. Even for Paris-Nice, Prudhomme launches a charm offensive. In short: Prudhomme is crazy about Evenepoel.
Of course, Prudhomme is crazy about Evenepoel. Who isn't? In recent years, he has been one of the most spectacular riders of the peloton. Everything about Evenepoel is charming. His majestic solos and stage victories, but also his collapses and comebacks. Evenepoel is the type of rider who only wears his team's kit in training, because in the races he's likely wearing a leader's jersey, a white jersey, a Belgian champion's jersey, or a rainbow jersey. And perhaps this coming summer, even a yellow one. Above all, Prudhomme seems crazy about Evenepoel because he hopes that the Tour will become more than just a duel. At the same time, the joyous outburst of the Tour boss casts a shadow over the Giro and the Vuelta, which must fear a leaner field of participants in 2024.
Twice Tadej Pogacar and twice Jonas Vingegaard: the last four years saw the Tour become the prey of either the young super-Slovenian or the stoic Dane. The last two editions, won by Vingegaard, also resulted in a true duel. There was a fight for seconds. It was a tough battle every day. The Tour turned into a tremendous fight between the two best classification riders of the peloton twice. The 2022 and 2023 editions brought the most beautiful and spectacular battle in years. In this light, the continuous flirtation with Evenepoel is remarkable. Apparently, it's not enough. Does the Tour need new heroes?
It seems so. Last year, Evenepoel and Primoz Roglic rode the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España. In 2024, they will also be in the Tour, and they have plenty to win in France. For Evenepoel, the Tour is a new hunting ground, and for Roglic, undoubtedly a great stage for revenge after his two withdrawals in 2021 and 2022. Moreover, the Slovenian still has a gap to fill in his track record for a perfect career. But they are not the only potential new heroes. Joao Almeida also wants to be there. And Juan Ayuso too. And Sepp Kuss and Richard Carapaz as well, just like Tao Geoghegan Hart. All of them are riders who have already won grand tours or reached the final podium. And they are not afraid to take on the mighty quartet.
Pogacar and Vingegaard dominated in the last four Tour de Frances.
Everyone wants to go to the Tour. And this wasn't always the case. In the last decade, the Giro seemed to be gaining ground on the Tour as the biggest race of the year. Take the year Tom Dumoulin won. He had to deal with top riders like Nairo Quintana and Vincenzo Nibali. In recent years, the allure of the Giro has diminished, and the spectacle has faded. Now, for the coming year, the Giro seems almost completely depleted of classification riders. Roglic has his victory, and Evenepoel opts for the Tour, despite the two long time trials in the Giro course. Only the nearly 38-year-old Geraint Thomas, Simon Yates who has been obsessed with the pink jersey since 2018, and the vilified Nairo Quintana have hinted so far at participation. This is a stark contrast to the list of Tour participants.
Next week, the Vuelta route will be announced. Almost none of the aforementioned Tour heavyweights will care about that. In recent years, the Vuelta seems to have become an afterthought. A chance for redemption after a failed Tour. A bonus round for those satiated after La Grande Boucle but still keen on an extra, like Vingegaard last autumn. Or the second major goal of the year for some Giro participants. In any case, so little is certain for the Vuelta directors that they will probably have to wait until the last weeks before the start in Lisbon to see who feels like participating in their red race. After all, in 2024, it's all about the Tour. That's where everyone wants to go. And it seems that after the Giro, the Vuelta will also suffer because of this.
A battle between Vingegaard, Pogacar, Roglic as the challenger and Evenepoel as the unpredictable player. It's really mouthwatering for all cycling enthusiasts. But will there actually be a battle among the four best classification riders? That's questionable. Evenepoel still has to prove himself against Vingegaard and Pogacar, and Roglic has only raced alongside the Dane. Additionally, Roglic and Pogacar haven't competed against each other in a multi-day race for some time. There's a chance that age will start to show for the new lead rider of BORA-hansgrohe, and it's anyone's guess how strong his team will be. It's possible that two or even three of the four contenders could end up being out of the running. Perhaps that's the only scenario that offers hope for the Giro and the Vuelta to ever become the most attractive goal of the year again.
It's unfortunate that the Giro and the Vuelta are at risk of being overshadowed in 2024. Vingegaard and Pogacar are so focused on the Tour that they don't seem likely to change their ambitions quickly. Roglic has had his fix in Italy, and Evenepoel opts for a role as a dark horse in the French three-week race instead of being the outright favorite in Italy. Hardly anyone is talking about the Vuelta yet. The constant flirting of Prudhomme with Evenepoel symbolizes the success of the Tour. The Tour boss can comfortably wait in his chair until summer. The Tour deals another blow. The best cyclists in the world no longer pin themselves to the races where they have the best chance of winning. They want to race against each other. In the biggest race there is.
Can Roglic and Evenepoel keep up with Pogacar and Vingegaard in July 2024?.