After Liège, Evenepoel starts again in the same way: by winning!

He metabolized the victory of LiègeHe trained. And when he started running again, Remco Evenepoel started off the same way: by winning. He did it in the opening stage of the Tour of Norway, who started from the same Bergen as the World Championships, and then in the third, conquering the leader's jersey.

"It was a cold and tough day," he said after his first victory. "We had low temperatures, rain, and even a bit of wind. My teammates controlled the race perfectly and played a key role in my success. I'm happy to be back in competition with a victory and happy to have had the legs to make the difference when it mattered. It's always nice to start a race like this, especially when I think that this is the first time I've won an uphill sprint».

Uijtdebroeks grows

Cyan Uijtdebroeks he remained to watch it, wondering whether the comparison made by the media between him and the rider of the Quick Step-Alha Vinyl.

«Evenepoel – he says – he just destroyed the gameIde Schelling and Marco Haller positioned me well in the last kilometers towards the climb and the group thinned out quickly. I was able to follow the first attacks, but when Remco attacked it hurtI actually felt pretty good, and together with Chavez, I managed to find my rhythm. We caught up with a few riders and eventually sprinted for fourth place. To be honest, I suffered a bit in the end and finished sixth.. But I'm very happy with this result and this performance." 

Remco tries again

Remco couldn't get enough of this. And while it seemed like... see the boy who wins when he decides to do so, the Belgian let the sprinters vent their anger on the second finish line (victory for Ethan Hayter) and in the third stage with the uphill finish in Stavsro he struck again. He was able to read the wind and slipped into a fan with 70 kilometers to go.The group fell apart. Thirty riders remained at the front. And after Asgreen's work, which brought him to the foot of the final climb, Remco attacked.

"I'm happy," said Evenepoel, who also took the KOM and Young riders Riders' jerseys. "It was quite a long day, with headwinds at the start, then crosswinds. Luckily, I had Kasper with me, and I want to thank him for his work. When I attacked, I didn't know how far we were from the finish line, but I felt good and I kept going.I was surprised by how my legs responded. It was a long effort, but at the end of the day I'm happy with the victory and the gaps in the standings."

Final in control?

Evenepoel now has a 46-second lead over Jay Vine in the overall standings, a solid margin that will allow him to manage the two remaining stages, full of steep climbs, but without significant climbs.

«Winning with a big advantage in Stavsro – he says – was my idea to then be able to control the race. During the final climb I tried to make life as difficult as possible for my opponents, even though it was very tough for me too. I took advantage of the wind to push as hard as I could, and I'm happy to have come away with such a lead. I am very satisfied with my performanceThe remaining stages are very difficult, but obviously it's easier to start with the leader's jersey. We'll have to stay awake, the wind is quite strong and continues to be the main threat of these stages."