Evenepoel reveals where he gained time on Vingegaard and Pogacar: "Turned out to be the perfect plan"

Evenepoel completed the 17-kilometer time trial in just under 21 minutes. "It was a tough test," he said in his flash interview. "It actually reminded me a bit of the first time trial in last year's Tour: flat at first, then a climb and then flat again. But this time, it was even tougher."

"I wanted to go as fast as possible to the intermediate point," Evenepoel shared his carefully thought-out plan. "And then maintain a steady pace until the finish. My advantage was that there was a headwind, so I could use my aerodynamic position and draw on the power I could deliver from that position. It turned out to be the perfect plan."

"This victory makes me very proud because it is the thousandth for our Soudal Quick-Step team," he continued. "This victory is one for Patrick (Lefevere, ed.) and everything he has done for the team during his career."

Evenepoel was also pleased that he gained a lot of time on his opponents Vingegaard and Pogacar. "I saw the differences just as I was on the rollers. My focus before the race was on my time trial, and then we would see where that would put me in the GC," said the new yellow jersey holder.

"But the gaps are pretty big for such a short time trial, so I'm pleased with that. He explains that I gained at least one second per kilometer on everyone and even two or more on some opponents. All in all, I'm just happy with how things are going, and a WorldTour win is always nice."

What does this victory mean for the upcoming weekend? "In terms of weight, I'm more than on schedule. Behind the scenes, I've been working hard lately. Day after day, week after week. I've always had faith in the process; this was the first day I wanted to go for it. Now it's important to get through Friday's stage, and then we need to tackle the weekend."

"The climb in this time trial was an eight-minute effort, and I felt good both uphill, on the flat, and the descents," said the Soudal Quick-Step leader. “So this is a good indicator for the coming week or month. But we have to keep working.

"I expect the other teams to put pressure on us in the coming days," Evenepoel said. "But I'm confident. We'll have to take control. Friday could be a sprint, so maybe some teams are counting on that. But you never know these days because we thought the first stage would be a sprint, too."