Cycling’s latest whizz-kid Remco Evenepoel is to make his Grand Tour debut as one of the youngest ever starters of the Giro d’Italia in May, Deceuninck Quick-Step announced on Friday.
There are three individual time trials on this year’s Giro and Evenepoel, who turns 20 later this month, is European champion and world silver medalist in the discipline, making him a potential contender.
“I’ll just see how I do each day over the three weeks, and have fun and hope the weather is good,” Evenepoel said in a video.
In an interview with Italy’s Gazzetta dello Sport, Evenepoel said he was relishing the chance to wear the overall race leader’s pink jersey after the first stage in Budapest, which is a time trial.
“I’m good at time trials, although it’s under 10km and I’m better at longer distances. I’ll prepare myself to give everything and whatever happens, happens,” he said.
Colombian prodigy Egan Bernal won the Tour de France last year as the youngest man in the race at 21, while at the Vuelta a Espana Slovenia’s Tadej Pogacar came third aged just 20.
The youngest Giro winner was the great Fausto Coppi, who won at 20 years, 8 months and 20 days in 1940. Evenepoel would be younger if he triumphs this year.
The charismatic former RSC Anderlecht and PSV Eindhoven youth-team soccer player last year was voted Belgian Sportsperson of the Year after setting pulses racing by winning the Tour of Belgium and the San Sebastian classic two years after his conversion to road racing.
Asked by Gazzetta whether he wanted to become the best rider of his generation, confident Evenepoel replied: “Sure, why not?”
“It will be difficult, and will mean winning lots and winning well,” he said. “Maybe in 15 years we’ll meet again and see if that’s how it turned out.”
Evenepoel’s early career prowess has led to him being compared with countryman Eddy Merckx, widely considered to be the best ever road cyclist, but the youngster is not impressed by attempts to liken him to the “Cannibal.”
“I don’t like comparisons with Merckx or any other rider because we’re talking about different eras, so it doesn’t make any sense,” Evenepoel said. “I am who I am, that’s who I want to be, and that should be enough.”
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