Evenepoel: It's clear that I've become much stronger than last year

Deceuninck-QuickStep’s Remco Evenepoel was forced to work hard to retain his overall lead on stage 5 of the 2020 Vuelta a San Juan
Deceuninck-QuickStep’s Remco Evenepoel was forced to work hard to retain his overall lead on stage 5 of the 2020 Vuelta a San Juan (Image credit: Getty Images Sport)

It wasn't supposed to be like this. Thirty kilometres from the finish of stage 5 of the Vuelta a San Juan at Alto Colorado on Friday, Remco Evenepoel (Deceuninck-QuickStep) and Oscar Sevilla (Team Medellin) found themselves in the second echelon, over a minute behind a lead group populated by danger-men. Separated by 23 years, the two niños contesting the general classification were now united in desperation. The ageless one, face contorted into a grimace, was showing his years. The young one, lips pursed in frustration, was showing his inexperience.

And yet, and yet. Much like Mathieu van der Poel during his astonishing display at last year's Amstel Gold Race, Evenepoelccs outlandish strength seems enough to iron out the occasional wrinkles in his race craft. It was an error of youth, perhaps, to get caught out when the echelons formed with 40 kilometres remaining. Pieter Serry was the only Deceuninck-Quick-Step teammate Evenepoel had for company once the second group had taken shape, but after he had exhausted himself, the 20-year-old had to shoulder the burden alone.

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Barry Ryan
Head of Features

Barry Ryan is Head of Features at Cyclingnews. He has covered professional cycling since 2010, reporting from the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and events from Argentina to Japan. His writing has appeared in The Independent, Procycling and Cycling Plus. He is the author of The Ascent: Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche and the Rise of Irish Cycling’s Golden Generation, published by Gill Books.