Remco Evenepoel has shown off his 2023 Soudal Quick-Step rainbow jersey, opting for black shorts and classic look for his season as world champion. He will also a white Specialized bike decorated with touches of the rainbow bands.
The 22-year-old Belgian won the Vuelta a España and then took the rainbow jersey in Australia with a 25km solo attack, winning by over two minutes - the biggest winning margin at the event since 1968.
Evenepoel was the youngest rider in history to win Liege-Bastogne-Liege, a Grand Tour and the World Championships in the same season. He will hope to follow up this success at the Giro d’Italia before defending his world title in August in Glasgow.
He is expected to make his season debut at the Vuelta a San Juan Internacional in Argentina.
“I can be really happy and proud to wear this jersey so early in my professional career. I’m looking forward to it,” Evenepoel said in a video showing him riding in his 2023 colours.
“I know it’s going to be a special year, with a lot of pressure and a different type of racing with the jersey. But I’m just going to let everything come to me and just try to deal with it as relaxed as possible and enjoy this jersey for the upcoming season. That’s the best thing I can do, go with the flow.”
The QuickStep-AlphaVinyl team will become Soudal-Quick-Step on January 1 but showed off Evenepoel’s new jersey early during a photoshoot at the team’s training camp near Calpe in Spain.
The world champion’s jersey has to respect specific UCI rules and the rainbow bands are on a white background, with the team’s sponsors all positioned on the chest, back and arms. The jersey sleeves and black shorts have rainbow bands, with new title sponsor Soudal and its red stripe covering the thigh of the shorts.
The race clothing is made by Castelli.
