Evenepoel wants to close the gap with Pogacar and Vingegaard: "These are my two reference points"

Evenepoel's going to the Tour de France in 2025 was already known. In addition, the Belgians are also considering participation in the Giro d'Italia. "We will first wait and see the course, which is very important, I think," he says. "The big advantage is that there are no Olympic Games this year. Last year, we knew that I would have been completely exhausted before the Olympics if I had done the Giro-Tour combination. And in the end, I'm glad we avoided doing it. Now, maybe we can reconsider. And then, as always, aim for a World Championship, for Lombardy."

The Giro-Tour double, though, would mean less focus on the spring. The Ardennes classics will be pushed aside. But: "Liège, I think I will do that. It differs from an Amstel, Flèche Wallonne, and all surrounding races. But Liège, I'm always at the start when I'm healthy." Earlier, the 24-year-old world time trial champion and team boss Patrick Lefevere cautiously discussed expanding the spring. "I had such an idea, but then I tasted that tour and thought: that's more my thing after all." And so, the Tour of Flanders can be taken off Evenepoel's possible program. "For this year, yes." Milan-San Remo is still possible.

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For the leader of Soudal Quick-Step, the next few years will be focused on tour work. "My third place on the tour has motivated me enormously to do better on a tour; it doesn't matter which one. I would like to have the feeling of winning a grand tour one more time. We're going for that one hundred percent."

Then something has to change: he still needs to compete with Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard uphill. "I noticed that I did manage to dominate the time trial this year, where I wanted to beat them. I notice that I am among the better climbers, but two more are slightly better than me. Those have become the two reference points I want to live up to. I'm turning 25 now, which is not old, I know. But the end of the career does approach faster and faster, and I don't want to let another five years pass without winning a grand tour."