Soudal-Quickstep confirmed on Monday that Remco Evenepoel will this year return to the Vuelta a España, which he won in 2022.
The reigning World Champion, Evenepoel had initially targeted the Giro d’Italia this year, where he won two stages and was in the lead before he had to quit because of COVID-19. There was briefly some speculation that he might ride the Tour de France, but the Vuelta was always viewed as a more probable, if still remote, option.
“At first, I said it was preferable that he didn’t do the Tour of Spain,” Soudal-QuickStep team manager Patrick Lefevere told La Dernière Heure. “But when I saw the level he achieved again and how keen he was, I could only follow his lead.”
“Remco wants big challenges. If everything goes well in the training camp and he doesn’t have any problems, he’ll be at the Vuelta.”
“I am really excited to return at the Vuelta," Evenepoel stated in the team's press release. "I obviously have only great memories from my first participation last year when we had an amazing time and I can’t wait to be there again, to take on the race and its many challenges and to meet again those amazing fans whose fantastic energy you feel every day."
The world champion referred to a victory he claimed in the Volta a Catalunya, which finished in Barcelona this year. He got away with leader Primož Roglič and beat him to the stage win but finished second to the Jumbo-Visma rider by six seconds.
“As you all know, I love racing in Spain, many of my biggest victories since turning pro have come there, and I hope I will continue on this road next month, when together with my Soudal Quick-Step teammates I will be at the start in Barcelona, where just a couple of months ago I took a nice win in rainbow."
After abandoning the Giro, Evenepoel raced the Tour de Suisse, winning a stage and taking third overall before winning the Belgian National Road Championships in a two-up sprint in late June before heading to training camp in the Italian Alps.
Lefevere played down the idea that Evenepoel would be under pressure to repeat his victory in the 2022 Vuelta.
“We won’t put him under any as a team. Remco has only completed one Grand Tour to date, and that’s not enough if he wants to be competitive next year at the Tour de France.”
“For us, he is under no obligation to get a result in Spain. On top of that, he won’t be able to count on his usual team there.”
“But you know Remco: if he starts a race, he’s there to try and win it.”
Evenepoel’s Vuelta a España last year saw the Belgian win two stages, a time trial in Alicante and a third-week summit finish, en route to becoming his country’s first Grand Tour winner in over four decades.
Other top names pencilled in for the Vuelta include three times winner Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma), who crashed out in 2022 but has bounced back to conquer his first Giro this May, Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) and Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates), who finished third in the Vuelta last year aged 20.
