Remco Evenepoel Refocuses on World Championships after GP de Montréal

Remco Evenepoel, competing for Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, finished fifth in the GP de Montréal on Sunday afternoon, having encountered difficulties with freshness and form following his victory just two days earlier in the GP de Québec. Despite the result being respectable, Evenepoel struggled to stay with the leading riders throughout the race, acknowledging that it was not his best day.

"It wasn't really a good day for me," he stated post-race. "I didn't really have good feelings today, but I fought hard for a good position in the finale. It's clear that this course is one where you need to have freshness and a real punch, and I found that I was lacking a bit of that today."

Evenepoel emphasized that finishing fifth was not a bad result considering the tough competition he faced, mentioning that he needed to maintain a positive outlook. "I have to be happy with what I managed to pull off today, and on Friday." He described the Montréal course as more challenging than that of Québec, particularly due to its climbing demands. "Friday involved just one climb, a five-minute effort, followed by a bit of recovery. But here, in the finale, you descend for four or five minutes, then hit another rise... it’s constantly going up or down," he explained.

Looking ahead, he remains focused on the time trial and the road race at the upcoming World Championships. Evenepoel indicated that while Friday's win was significant, his primary goals are set for the World Championships, where he intends to contest for rainbow jerseys in both events. Although he did not achieve a podium finish in Montréal, he believes that valuable lessons were learned that can aid in the upcoming competition.

"There are climbs, descents, and lots of corners. But I still felt like things were going well today; I was consistently well-placed, positioning wasn't too difficult," he reflected. Despite some lingering fatigue, Evenepoel affirmed, "I don't need to start panicking. There are still two weeks until the road race, and I have another big day coming up next Sunday. So we refocus and we move forward."

To prepare for the World Championships, Evenepoel shared his immediate plans, stating he will be riding out to Bromont, located east of Montréal, on Monday. He will then engage in recovery before focusing on specific time trial training. "I'm looking forward to it. I think there are two great weeks ahead. Things have started well, so I hope I can keep that momentum going."