Evenepoel won’t remember Pogacar or his final race for The Wolfpack, but a "panic moment" in Lombardy

“I got the most out of it. The same guy was the best again, but I rode a good race, felt strong, and I’m happy to end it this way,” Evenepoel told VTM. He could only admire Pogacar’s strength, even beyond that of his UAE Team Emirates-XRG teammates.

“They went full gas from the bottom for three or four kilometers, and we were pushing some really high numbers. There was nothing I could do but switch into survival mode and climb as hard as possible,” Evenepoel said about the decisive moment on the Passo di Ganda. “He quickly gained 20–25 seconds, then it stabilized for a bit. But in the end, he was outstanding again.”

Evenepoel switched on his own motor and secured second place, far ahead of the rest. He could laugh afterward about a tense moment on the Colle Aperto (1.3 km at 7.3%), where two motorbikes nearly crashed in front of him. “Two moto riders almost went down right in front of me on that last climb, haha. It got a bit hectic, especially since I was going pretty fast and stopping on a 15% slope isn’t easy,” he said.

Speaking to Eurosport, he added: “There was a bit of panic, but luckily my gap to Michael Storer was big enough.” In the end, everything went smoothly, even if he couldn’t match Pogacar’s pace. “I did my best and focused on riding my own race, doing my own thing.”

I knew they’d climb the Passo di Ganda really fast, and I was perfectly positioned. Everything was going well, but once Jay Vine hit the front, it went crazy fast. Suddenly, there were only four of us behind Tadej. It was clear again he was the strongest, but I felt really good too. It’s a bit frustrating to finish second three times in a row, but I can’t complain about how I performed.”

Was there any emotion in the mixed zone when his farewell to Soudal Quick-Step came up? Not really. “It’s okay, I’m just happy and proud. I wanted to give everything one more time, and I did. I’m the kind of rider who fights until the very end. That’s what I told my teammates as well.”

Speaking to the Belgian press, he added: “I’ll definitely cherish my time with the team. They’ve been really beautiful years. I’m very proud to have been the leader here, and I’ll treasure those great moments for the rest of my life. But now, it’s time for something new.”