‘It Feels like a Personal Victory’: Tears for Remco Evenepoel

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Remco Evenepoel crossed the line, and then the tears flowed.

He wheeled to a halt perhaps 50 meters after the finish of Il Lombardia, rolled into the arms of his wife Oumi Rayane, then slumped over his handlebars and reached up under his sunglasses with his right hand, wiping his eyes.

It was hard to tell what was going through his mind. Was he disappointed to finish over three minutes behind a rampaging Tadej Pogačar? Was he emotionally jaded after a long, tough race?

Or was he overcome with emotion after finishing the monument, four years after he almost died in the same event?

It was likely a combination of all three, but the latter was a big factor.

“I am happy to be on the podium today,” he said afterwards. “It feels a bit like a personal victory. I didn’t have nice memories from the last time I raced Lombardia on the parcours from Bergamo to Como, back in 2020.

“But now to be the best of the rest makes me really proud.”

Evenepoel’s huge crash four years ago occurred on the descent of the Colma di Sormano. The-then 20 year old was at the back of the leading group but fell while crossing a bridge over a ravine. He ran wide on a bend, hitting the wall and flipping over it.

He plummeted down several feet and landed heavily, suffering a fractured pelvis and a bruised lung.

The Belgian competed in Il Lombardia in 2021 and 2023. However on those occasions the race went the opposite direction and avoided the descent.

This time around it passed the location of that awful crash, although the riders were going uphill rather than downhill Saturday.

“When the attacks came on the Sormano I just did my own pace,” he told CyclingPro.net, referring to Pogačar’s decisive surge with 48km remaining. “Then on the descent I opened a gap and immediately embarked on a long time trial until the finish and made sure of giving my best.

“I am delighted I could do this race without any problems or bad luck, which is something that gives me confidence to come back and try to win it. It’s a nice way to end my season.”

Predicting the Pogačar power surge

Evenepoel has had a remarkable year. He took three victories in February, was a close runner-up to the American Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike) in Paris-Nice, and then suffered a bad crash in the Itzulia Basque Country race in April.

The fractures sustained in that fall put him out of competition until June. Yet he still went on to make an admirable debut in the Tour de France.

He won the first time trial and finished third overall, then built on that form to take both the Olympic time trial and road race.

Winning the world championship TT was another big coup. And while he said before Il Lombardia that his energy levels were running low, he was best of the rest behind a dominant Pogačar.

“I am happy,” he insisted. “I think what I predicted the morning came out. Tadej was going to attack with about six or seven kilometers from the top. It was the hardest part of the climb, so I think it was logical that he went there.

“I just was trying to find my own rhythm, which was a good one. I came over the top with a small gap on Enric and Lennert so then I pushed it on the descent and could take quite some lead on the descent on them.

“Then it was just a long time trial to the finish line. I was quite dying on the last climb, it was really tough to keep the pace and keep the power on the pedals.

“But I think the gap was made, so I was a bit confident that it was going to be all right. No risks any more in the last descent, and then try to enjoy this finish line finally.”

‘It was the highest I could achieve today’

There was a very visible contrast between Pogačar and Evenepoel during the race, one which likely reflected their characters but also the incredible confidence the former has at present following a remarkably successful season.

While out front Pogačar asked the TV motorbike for a time gap, smiling and looking utterly relaxed.

Evenepoel was much more visibly making an effort, his body rocking and rolling as he turned the pedals around. At times he was shouting and gesturing with frustration at the moto, seeking time checks.

Was his need for information related to the competitor out front, or those in pursuit?

“It was more about the gaps towards the back,” he said. “I knew it was about one and a half minutes to Tadej all the time, and then on the last climb he took again a lot of time. It shows how outstanding he is already all season, and he was again today.

“For me it was just trying to consider my second place, which was the highest that I could achieve today. I just wanted to keep pushing and be sure that the time gaps they were showing me were correct, not like at the Olympics.

“But in the end all good, so I’m very happy with today’s performance.”

A surprise visit

The season is now over, Evenepoel has the chance of a good rest. His wife flew unexpectedly to Il Lombardia and surprised him at the finish, something which clearly touched him.

“He really didn’t know I was coming,” she said, according to Het Nieuwsblad. “It was also not foreseen, because it was difficult with school [studies] and because Remco’s parents could not come because of circumstances. I was able to book last minute last night.”

In 2023 she visited the scene of the 2020 crash with her husband. Both of them reflected on what had happened and how close he came to serious injury or worse.

He said that was cathartic, but she knows the fall still had a big effect on him.

“Lombardy is always a difficult game mentally with what happened a few years ago, so I liked being here anyway.”

Evenepoel has been away for long periods this season, both at races and at training camps. They now have the opportunity to unwind, something which is necessary for him right now and also as a foundation for next season.

“It was a very busy year with a lot of ups but also a few dows,” Oumi said. “We are now looking forward to being able to recharge our mental batteries.”

Becoming an even better rider

Evenpoel is, of course, highly talented and hugely ambitious. He will switch off for now, but will reengage sooner rather than later, keen to keep building.

What does he need to improve upon for next year?

“I think I need to keep working on my climbing capacities. I think with the Tour and what I showed today, I am a bit on the same level as the Tour compared to Tadej.

“He was just always quite a bit better in the Tour and also today. So I think we have to try to work on that and make sure that I become a better climber next year, so that I can finish closer, or ahead of the others.”

Once seen as impulsive, he is better tactically nowadays. Wishing to win grand tours has taught him to meter out his efforts. So too has racing against rivals as strong as Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike).

That revised approach is as important as his physical strength. Both head and legs are needed to win races such as the Tour.

“I think I have shown quite a lot of patience in the races,” he said. “Calmness as well, and self-trust.

“I think we just need to work on the bigger plan and make sure that next summer we are up there again to fight for podiums in the Grand Tours and in the climbing classics as well.”