Remco Evenepoel gears up for highly anticipated Giro d’Italia battle with Primoz Roglic – ‘Washed the doubts away’

Soudal–Quick-Step rider Remco Evenepoel is full of confidence ahead of the Giro d’Italia that gets underway on Saturday and his inevitable battle with Primoz Roglic.

The pair have gone toe-to-toe with each other this season and are set for another thrilling match-up in Italy, with Vuelta a Espana winner and world champion Evenepoel the favourite to take the crown.

Asked how he had improved since his last Giro d’Italia effort in 2021 that did not quite go to plan, he confidently answered: “Everything.

“For the Giro 2021, we cannot compare the kind of rider and athlete I am now. Then I had just five weeks of training beforehand against five months now. It’s a completely different world and life.

“I think I can be honest about that. I think I’m better than before the Vuelta, so it’s only good news.

“I think I can be here only with positive feelings. This season has been very good so far. I won the UAE Tour, I was second at Catalunya by a small margin, and victory in Liege is a new big step in my career and in my life.

“Until here, I can have a lot of trust and belief. I think I’m here with a lot of positive vibes and good feelings for the Giro.”

Although Evenepoel will look to take possession of the pink jersey in the opening week, he has revealed his initial goal is to do well in the time trials.

“It’s quite obvious that Stage 4, Stage 7 and Stage 8 are not easy at all,” he predicted. “But everything will be decided in the last week.

“I’m going to put everything on the TTs and on the other stages I’ll take it easy, I won’t make actions myself. It’s about arriving safe in the second week and third week.”

“If I can take the jersey on Saturday, then why not?” he responded when asked about taking on Roglic and whether or not he can go all the way. “It’s a race, you want to win stages also.

“Last year, I won the Vuelta with the red jersey from Stage 6, and I think we showed we’re capable of controlling the race for a long period.

“But the last week is so hard and brutal: it’s all about the last days, I think.”

Evenepoel and Roglic have already contested some intense races including last year’s Vuelta, though the battle was interrupted by the Slovenian’s crash in the third week, and despite Roglic edging Evenepoel in the Volta a Catalunya, the Belgian was reassured that he was up to the task of bettering his rival.

“Last year, I still had some doubts whether I could have the same level as him in the mountains,” he said. “But I think I was able to wash these doubts away after Catalunya.

“I think we were on the very same level there when we speak about climbing.

“I hope I can be on the same level in the climbs and a better level in the TT. I think that’s a good recipe to beat him, but he’s the Olympic champion in TT so it’s hard.

But I’m at a good climbing weight, and everything should a few percentages better than it was in Catalunya.”

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