Evenepoel points to UAE rider as cause of massive crash, and warns ahead of Huy: "Nys won’t get a free ride"

Press conferences with Evenepoel are never dull, and Sunday in Berg en Terblijt was no exception. Evenepoel, who had already crashed earlier in the race, rode with Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek) on the rear wheel to close the gap to the solo leader Tadej Pogacar but was ultimately beaten by the Dane in a three-man sprint on the N-weg in South Limburg.

Remco, what went through your mind when Pogacar and Alaphilippe broke away in the final?
“Honestly, I was still recovering from my chase after that big crash. So, it wasn't an option for me to attack there. I didn't panic, and we decided to use my teammates to try to get back to us. It was a bold attack, but I didn't feel stressed."

At one point, the gap was thirty seconds.
"The biggest problem was that I was two minutes behind earlier in the race after that crash. There was a lot of attacking, and it took a lot of energy to return. Without that crash, we would have seen a completely different finish, perhaps a different result, because I felt good. But anyway, I can be proud of myself and the team."

Skjelmose almost apologized for not riding at the front. Do you blame him, and did he surprise you with his sprint?
"Keep in mind: Mattias is not slow. He beat me before in Paris-Nice, and I know he has good acceleration, but you never know after a race like this. As no one thought I would win on Friday, we didn't think he would take this sprint. I think all three of us deserved this victory equally. I did the longest pulls, but that's how it is in this sport."

Did you feel stronger than Pogacar?
"We closed the gap to Tadej, so at that moment, we were stronger than him. On the Cauberg, we gained fifteen seconds, and after that crash, I had to use a lot of energy to get back. You pay for that at the end."

Your team complained that UAE Emirates-XRG kept riding after the crash. What do you have to say about that?
"I didn't see it myself, so I can't say much about it. I did hear that a certain team kept riding, but anyway. Someone from UAE Emirates-XRG also caused the crash, Jhonatan Narváez. I was right behind him, and I thought I could just make it, but his bike catapulted back into the peloton. Things like that are part of the sport."

Now that you've been out of action for so long, what went through your mind when you saw him crash?
"I actually thought I could escape the situation, but then that bike suddenly jumped back onto me. I couldn't go anywhere; if I had gone to the right, I would have jeopardized the guys behind me. I braked as hard as I could, but that bike hit my head. I remained relatively calm, but it was never pleasant. I can better put things into perspective because of everything that has happened in recent months."

How do you feel after the crash?
"You can see that my elbow took a heavy blow, and I have some abrasions on my back. Fortunately, I wasn't going too fast at the time because I saw it coming. I did a slow somersault but immediately felt I was okay. The guys behind me fell much harder."

In the sprint, it was all about who had the most energy left.
"Probably. I may have gone too early; that was a small mistake. But that's also my only mistake in this race, so I'll learn from that. I reacted to a move by Pogacar and let myself get caught up in it. It was a great final to ride, and I'm happy I did so well. That gives me confidence for what's to come."

Wednesday is the Flèche Wallonne. Can you achieve something with these explosive legs?
"The approach to the Mur de Huy has become more difficult than in previous editions, with the Cote d'Ereffe. And that's not an easy one." (grins)

"So we can take a different approach and hopefully get something done there. We won't take Thibau Nys to Huy on a free ride, we will race. If my punch is on point, we'll give it a try. I'm already happy that we're in good shape with the team. But I'm taking it day by day: now I'm going to recover for two days."

And then Liege, the main goal?
"Liège is a different race than the Amstel. The Amstel is much more explosive, so it's hard to compare. But I've already shown that I can handle Liège, and now I just hope I can get some rest and then get fully ready for Liège after Wednesday."