"Grandious" Evenepoel writes Olympic history
Gold in the time trial he already has - and in the road race, Remco Evenepoel simply pulls away. That's never happened before. The Belgian wonder kid has almost won everything. Due to his offensive riding style and immense potential, he reminds people of the great Eddy Merckx.
Remco Evenepoel's immense hunger for victory was finally satisfied at the Eiffel Tower. They call the cyclist "the little cannibal" in his Belgian homeland because, at 1.71 meters, he's rather slender, and because he reminds his countrymen of the great Eddy Merckx with his offensive riding style and seemingly limitless potential. The cycling legend won countless victories in the 60s and 70s, including five Tour de France titles. However, Evenepoel completed a feat on Saturday in the heart of Paris that even Merckx never achieved.
At 79, Merckx never became an Olympic champion. Unlike Evenepoel, who became a double Olympic champion, Merckx never had the chance due to the absence of the time trial in the Olympic program at the time. "That's historic. What a day," said Evenepoel. After winning the time trial on Saturday following the opening ceremony, he went on to win gold in the road race. "I'm so proud to be the first rider in history to achieve the double," said Evenepoel. Another dream came true for him on the Trocadero. Evenepoel, who once aspired to become a professional footballer and made it to Belgium's youth national teams, has already fulfilled many dreams at the young age of 24.
He won the Vuelta, became world champion in both the road race and time trial, and won the prestigious Liège-Bastogne-Liège monument twice. He finished his first Tour de France in July in third place on the podium, winning the white jersey for the best young rider in the process. "My season is indescribable," said Evenepoel. As a bonus, the Belgian broke Jan Ullrich's record as the youngest Olympic champion. "Simply incredible," said Maximilian Schachmann in awe. The Berliner and the Cologne native Nils Politt played no role in the medal ceremony.
Politt kicks off the finale
Even a puncture just over three kilometers from the finish, ironically at the world-famous Louvre, couldn't stop Evenepoel. After 273 kilometers and the longest race in Olympic history, he had over a minute's lead on the other medal winners, Valentin Madouas and Christophe Laporte from France. Politt had opened the spectacular finale with an attack around 60 kilometers from the finish, breaking away with five others. However, after a brutal attack by world champion Mathieu van der Poel on the first crossing of the Montmartre climb to the Sacré-Cœur, the leading riders caught up - and Politt ran out of steam around 30 kilometers from the finish.
Only 90 riders set off from the Eiffel Tower in the morning, heading southwest of Paris. Germany was represented by only two professionals, while top nations like Belgium had four. The small team size made it difficult to control the race, giving outsiders the chance to shine. Riders from Rwanda, Uganda, Thailand, Morocco, and Mauritius broke away in Paris, building up to a maximum of 15 minutes' lead.
The course - a mix of the hilly WM courses from Leuven and Glasgow - had only 2800 meters of elevation gain, but the flat sections outside Paris were limited. Most riders were familiar with the roads and the 13 climbs from the spring race Paris-Nice, which starts in the region.
One who closely followed Evenepoel's triumph in Paris is Ralph Denk. The Bavarian is the team manager of the German top team Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe and a fan, describing Evenepoel as a "cool rider" to SID before the last Tour. Belgian media has been speculating for some time about a future collaboration, with 2025 being a possible start. Denk would wish to have closed a deal before the summer games. The young Cannibal is not getting any cheaper in Paris.
Evenepoel's accomplishments at the Olympic Games are reminiscent of Merckx's, as he became a double Olympic champion, surpassing Merckx who never competed in the time trial event due to its absence in the Olympic program during his era.
The Olympic Games have been a platform for Evenepoel to continue his impressive streak, adding the double gold medal to his list of achievements, which already includes wins in prominent races like the Vuelta, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, and the World Championships in both the road race and time trial.
