Evenepoel happy with time trial win and his week in Romandie: "I didn’t come here with big expectations"

"It was a specific course," the world time trial champion began his story in the flash interview. "The start was quite technical, followed by a long straight stretch towards the climb. I think I rode a pretty much perfect time trial. That was all I could do today. I'm happy to secure the victory today."

"I came here with realistic and not overly ambitious goals," Evenepoel said, reflecting on an overall successful week in Switzerland. Those modest ambitions were a conscious choice. "I knew I would arrive here in a ’yes or no' situation, so to speak. That's why I tempered my ambitions a bit." Nevertheless, the Belgian rider was successful in his main goal for the week. "The main focus was on today's stage. Yesterday, I wanted to push myself to the limit and raise the bar. I think I got the most out of it today with a good time trial in all aspects."

As a result, the world time trial champion was quite satisfied after his week in Romandie. "I can also be happy with how the week went because I'm still looking for the right form. I still finished fifth in the GC among riders who are in good shape and performed well yesterday. I have to be happy with what I've achieved, and I'm glad that this Tour de Romandie ended better than the one six years ago," Evenepoel said, referring to the 2019 edition, in which he finished 76th in the final classification.

"I really enjoyed this week," the Belgian rider continued, clearly satisfied, having seen that the weather gods were also on his side. "We were really lucky with the weather too. There were some beautiful, warm days; we were lucky again today. They predicted rain in the afternoon, but luckily, it stayed dry."

After his hard crash in the winter, it is still unclear how Evenepoel's shoulder feels. In Romandie, however, he did not seem to be bothered by it. "I'm also happy that my shoulder felt good. My position was good and stable so that really motivates me for what's to come," said the overall fifth-place finisher in the Swiss stage race.

What's next for the double Olympic champion? “It's always nice to win, even before taking a short break,” Evenepoel revealed his plans. "I will take a week to recover after the spring and this week in Romandie. That feels good, and I think I can go into my break with a clearer head. It motivates me for the rest of the season." It was a great week, as can be concluded from his concluding words. "All in all, I'm pleased with this week, in which I think I found a better level. If it fits in well with my schedule, I will definitely return here."