Lefevere tries to keep highly ambitious 2024 Evenepoel idea from becoming reality: 'Advise against it'

If there is one man for whom cycling-loving Belgium will travel to the Tour start in Florence next July, it is Remco Evenepoel. The versatile rider himself - due to a well-deserved vacation - was not present at the presentation of the Tour route at the Palais des Congres, where CEO Patrick Lefevere served as spokesman.

From his seat, Lefevere knew enough after Tour boss Christian Prudhomme went through all the stages from a to z in half an hour. 'There is little variation,' the Belgian concluded to the massed press. 'And not many sprints. So we won't bring a pure sprinter. I have no doubts about the rest of the team: if the leader of a team is good, then the team around it is also good.'

Many people in Paris concluded that it was an atypical course, which Lefevere partly went along with. 'The Tour can already be decided in the first week, that fourth stage is very difficult. With the type of riders riding around now? They always fly in,' said Lefevere, who is not a fan of one trend - like Richard Plugge. 'That gravel ride? You can compare that to cobblestones, I'm not a fan of it. You can't win the Tour there, but you can lose it.' Team leader Evenepoel probably isn't a fan either, while the time trials are probably up his alley. 'But also our friend of this year (Jonas Vingegaard, ed.) has eaten into that,' Lefevere refers to the time trial of 2023, in whi.lch the Dane threw the Tour in the lock.

Combination Giro-Tour for Evenepoel: 'We advise against it'

Finally, Lefevere made a - to the newsroom in attendance - rather striking statement. 'Evenepoel is even considering combining the Giro and Tour, he still has an account open with the Giro,' the team boss said. 'With what's to come, the Games, I don't think that's the best idea. We have to work out a balanced program.'

So it could just be that we will see Evenepoel in action in both the Giro and Tour, although Lefevere is clearly leaning the other way. 'The combination is not one hundred percent excluded yet, but we advise against it. It will be Remco's first Tour and he is 24 years old, so then nothing has to and everything is allowed.'