Cycling’s greatest ever racer, Eddy Merckx has showered newly crowned UCI World Road Race Champion Remco Evenepoel with compliments and a few pieces of sage advice after his fellow Belgian claimed the elite men’s title with an impressive long-range solo attack.
Speaking to Het Laatste Nieuws on Sunday morning, Merckx told the Belgian newspaper he was certain with 25 kilometres to go, once Evenepoel had shed his most persistent rival Alexey Lutsenko (Kazakhstan), that the Belgian was on a one-way ticket to a rainbow jersey.
“He stood head and shoulders above the rest,” Merckx said, “The best of the race won.”
“I enjoyed watching it, specially the way he pulled it off. It couldn’t be better.”
Merckx told Het Laatste Nieuws he had watched the race with his son, Axel, himself a former pro and Olympic medallist, although they differed on the point where they were sure another Belgian World Champion was in the making.
“Axel already was sure with 50 to kilometres to go. It took me a little longer. But when Remco shook Lutsenko off on Mount Pleasant, 25 kilometres from the finish, I knew he will be World Champion.”
After praising the Belgian selection for their fine collective performance to deliver Evenepoel to a point where he could make the ideal attack, Merckx said that Evenepoel should “first and foremost” enjoy wearing the rainbow jersey. But he also had a few suggestions about what Evenepoel could do next year, starting with wearing the rainbow jersey at the Tour de France.
“Of course he has to decide that himself, but... the Tour? Why not, huh? That is the biggest Grand Tour of all,” Merckx told Het Laatste Nieuws.
As for the prospect of Evenepoel following Merckx' wheeltracks and winning the five Monuments, Merckx added, ”Here too: yes, why not? Of course he is not the fastest sprinter. He will therefore have to finish alone in Milano-Sanremo. Paris-Roubaix will not be an easy task either. But maybe, at a later age, it is possible.”
