"He’s kind of cursed": Why Van Eetvelt didn’t want to follow Evenepoel’s attack in Romandie

"The pace was quite high," Van Eetvelt began his story to CyclingProNet. "A lot of guys were suffering because of the heat, including me. I really struggled today." Nevertheless, the Belgian from Lotto had a different scenario in mind than the one that ultimately unfolded. "I expected the race to be much harder on the last climb, but I think everyone was suffering."

“No one dared to go, except Remco (Evenepoel, ed.)," said Van Eetvelt, who saw his compatriot attack frequently. Nevertheless, the Lotto rider decided not to go with him. "He's kind of cursed because everyone knows he's so strong on the flat. That's why no one wants to go with him. I knew I had to be in a group in front of him, because there would be no cooperation with him." In the end, the Belgian rider ended up in a decisive group of five with Fortunato, Baudin, Juan Pedro López, and Junior Lecerf. ”I was very lucky to be in that group. In the end, games were played, and I lost."

Afterward, it wasn't all disappointment for Van Eetvelt, as he gained almost a minute on his opponents in the GC. "It's always difficult because, you're thinking about GC, but you also want to win the stage. I expected Alex Baudin to go, but Fortunato went. That was great because then Baudin would go too, and I would have had a chance. At the end of the day, I finished fourth, but I won a lot of time in the GC. So I'm also happy," the Belgian concluded his analysis on a positive note.

Fortunato also beat Baudin in that group of five. "At the start, it was a tough battle for the early breakaway," the Frenchman began his story at CyclingProNet. "I felt that I wouldn't be continuously blocked in the final, as it was almost exclusively riders for the GC. I took advantage of that, even though I was completely à bloc. Then, a few riders joined me. We played it strategically well."

In the final stretch, the Italian from XDS-Astana outsmarted Baudin. "I thought Fortunato would give everything to secure his GC, but he played it well.” Nevertheless, the Frenchman from EF Education-EasyPost is happy with his performance in Romandie. “It's great in Switzerland again. It goes pretty well every time I race here, so that's nice. It's also a very beautiful race."

So, the 23-year-old rider from Albertville had to settle for second place. "It's a good result, even though only a victory counts. I won't necessarily remember my second place." However, Baudin took the leader's jersey in the Tour de Romandie, something he will remember. "Sure, and that's very positive, but for me, the most important thing is to win races," the Frenchman concluded.