Dressed in the Belgian time trial champion's jersey, Remco Evenepoel set off from the Fossacesia Marina ramp on Saturday May 6, shortly after 4:30 p.m. Impressive from his first pedal strokes, the prodigy of the Soudal Quick-Step team, one of the favorites for the coronation in this 106th edition of the Tour of Italy, struck a blow from the inaugural stage.
At the end of some 19 kilometers of a flat and straight time trial, on a cycle track between an abandoned railway line and the beaches of the Adriatic, the Fleming is 22 seconds ahead of his runner-up of the day, the Italian Filippo Ganna ( Ineos Grenadiers), one of the best exercise specialists. He puts on the first pink jersey of this Giro, the first of his career, at 23 years old.
Sitting in the "hot seat" as Remco Evenepoel crossed the line at Ortona, Portugal's Joao Almeida (UAE Emirates, 3rd at 29 seconds) had a face that said it all: the young road world champion stunned the competition .
Starting with Primoz Roglic. Presented as his main rival in the quest for the final victory, on the evening of May 28, in Rome, the rider of the Jumbo-Visma already accuses a disbursement of 43 seconds on his rival. However, the Slovenian did not put in a bad performance, finishing 6th. “You have to stay optimistic, huh, reacted the 30-year-old at the microphone of Eurosport. There are another twenty steps. »
"A great way to get back to the Giro"
The Belgian knew that to outrun his elder, you had to "be better than him in time trials". “This is the recipe for beating him, even if he is Olympic champion [en titre du chrono], explained Remco Evenepoel at a press conference on Thursday May 4, a few days before the big start. It won't be easy. " Really ?
"I don't watch the gaps too much, I stay focused on my performance. The first objective is fulfilled, now we have to stay focused and keep as much energy as possible,” he said on Saturday.
His training will now have the weight of having to control the race to defend the pink jersey. “We said we should probably keep [le] until the fourth stage, slipped the interested party. We will then see what we can do to let go. But for now, I'm enjoying it. It's a great way to get back to the Giro. »
The young Belgian has already competed in the Tour of Italy, in 2021, but he was coming back from the serious injury which almost cost him his life on August 15, 2020 after a badly negotiated turn on the Tour of Lombardy. He had thrown in the towel before the 18th stage, three days from the finish, judged that year in Milan.
Two other times are on the program for the event, including that of the penultimate stage which ends with a climb to Monte Lussari, in the Alps, on May 27: 7.3 kilometers at 12.1% average, with a peak at 22%. A deadline which, on paper, suits Remco Evenepoel perfectly, as well as Primoz Roglic.
But the road is still long until then, with in particular a third week marked by arrivals at altitude.
