On Friday afternoon, Remco Evenepoel was the star attraction at the Soudal-QuickStep team presentation in De Panne, where he outlined his build-up to the Giro d’Italia. By Friday evening, he was in Antwerp to collect the trophy for Belgium’s sportsperson of the year. All in a day’s work.
It was Evenepoel’s second time to receive the honour, having previously picked up the gong at the end of his debut professional season in 2019. Wout van Aert was the winner for the past two years, but Evenepoel’s glittering 2022 season brooked no argument. Van Aert placed second in the voting this time, while Olympic champion speed skater Bart Swings took third place.
“I wasn’t sure if I would win, because you never know what impact an Olympic title has, but apparently I was able to convince the jury with the races I won,” Evenpoel said, according to Het Nieuwsblad. “I certainly wouldn't have been disappointed if Bart had won, I certainly would have given it to him. We both deserved the trophy.”
In a 2022 season for the ages, Evenepoel won Liège-Bastogne-Liège, the Vuelta a España and the World Championships, and the 22-year-old has continued picking up prizes during the off-season. He was voted as Vélo d’Or for 2022 and he also won a series of accolades in Belgium, including the Flandrien, the Kristallen Fiets and the National Trophy for Sports Merit.
“I put the Trophy for Sports Merit at the very top, because you can only win it once in your career,” Evenepoel said. “But every prize is special, and every prize gives a special feeling.”
Evenepoel flew to Calpe on Saturday morning to participate in the opening days of a training camp with his Soudal-QuickStep team, though he will leave for Argentina on Tuesday ahead of his seasonal debut at the Vuelta a San Juan, which gets underway on January 22.
As well as availing of the extended stint in Argentina to train and acclimatise to the heat, Evenepoel will be a guest of honour at a friendly match in San Juan between Boca Juniors and Everton de Chile on January 14.
“We're gone for another month. There won't be a party tonight. It's been a long day already and I'll be glad when I'm in my bed later,” Evenepoel said on Friday evening.
After the Vuelta a San Juan, Evenepoel will race the UAE Tour, the Volta a Catalunya and Liège-Bastogne-Liège in preparation for his return to the Giro d’Italia.
“The danger is that expectations are now even higher. People also need to realise that I can't win all the races,” Evenepoel said. “If I ride a top three in the Giro this year, I will be equally satisfied with that. I want to get the maximum out of it and then I will be satisfied. This year I just want to enjoy that rainbow jersey.”
