Evenepoel looks to have made a giant leap, but insists: “I think I’m around 85%”

Evenepoel opened his campaign in Mallorca, where he won the team time trial before adding two one-day races to his tally. The double Olympic champion then travelled to Valencia, won the individual time trial and the queen stage, and safely brought the leader’s jersey home on the final day. He could hardly have wished for a better start to the season.

But it wouldn’t be Evenepoel if he wasn’t still pushing for more. “This is still preparation,” he said as he put his Spanish performances into perspective in comments to Sporza. He stressed that he is nowhere near his best yet. “I think I’m around 85%. I haven’t done an altitude camp yet and I’m just at my spring weight. There’s definitely still a bit to lose heading towards the Tour.” Message received.

It has been a while since we’ve seen the world time trial champion at this level so early in the year — in fact, it almost looks like he’s better than ever. But Evenepoel disagrees. “It’s not that I’ve peaked more than anyone else. I’ve just done my training. If I have a smooth winter, I’m always pretty quick to get into shape. But I’m definitely not in top shape yet.”

So expectations will be high for Evenepoel in the months ahead. Still, he is keen to keep a lid on things. “We’re not going to get overconfident — we’ll go step by step,” he said. “At the UAE Tour I also want to be in good shape and try to win. Then there will be a recovery period and another peak in Catalonia.” In the Emirates he expects Isaac Del Toro (UAE Team Emirates–XRG) to be one of the main threats.

Even on the final day in Valencia — a stage that didn’t look too difficult on paper — Evenepoel and Red Bull–BORA–hansgrohe drew confidence from how they controlled the race. “As soon as the break formed today, we immediately rode on the front. All week we had everything under control. That gives me confidence, and by finishing it off I give my teammates confidence. We’ve started the season with a really good flow. Hopefully everyone can keep this going.”

And Valencia was far from a weak field, with João Almeida in particular tipped as a key rival. Yet the Portuguese rider could not respond when Evenepoel unleashed his acceleration in the penultimate stage. It was a major test — and what did Evenepoel learn from it? “That I can attack pretty hard and sustain it. We’ve worked a lot on that.”