The dust has hardly settled on Tadej Pogaฤar’s Giro d’Italia-Tour de France double this season, but it has now emerged that another major Grand Tour contender could participate in both races in 2025: Remco Evenepoel. Patrick Lefevere, Soudal-QuickStep’s longstanding and outspoken team manager, stated that there is a “realistic option” for Evenepoel to return to the Italian Grand Tour before racing in the Tour de France in July.
Evenepoel last raced the Giro in 2023 but had to abandon the event after contracting COVID-19 alongside several teammates. His debut in the Tour de France this summer was a major success, where he clinched third overall, a stage win, and the Best Young Rider’s jersey.
Team Dynamics and Transfer Rumours
Lefevere also discussed the ongoing rumours about Evenepoel switching teams in 2025. “Four years ago it was Ineos, now it’s Red Bull. Tomorrow it’ll be what, UAE? Honestly, I’m a bit fed up with the whole story,” he told Derniรจre Heure. However, Lefevere firmly rejected the notion of a transfer, saying, “It’s not something we intend to happen, no way! And it’s been a while since there’s been any registered post on my desk saying that another team wants to talk. So that’s not even a subject for discussion.”
On a sporting level, he questioned what Evenepoel could gain elsewhere. “We’ve maybe got less money than elsewhere, but he’s going well here and our relationship is built on trust. Look at the palmares. In 2026 he’ll be 26, that’d maybe be the good moment to go looking for money. But perhaps by that time, we’ll have more financial backing too.”
Training Adjustments and Future Goals
Lefevere admitted that a dual focus on the Giro and Tour would imply a very different build-up compared to previous seasons. Evenepoel would need to hit top form by mid-April and would likely race Milan-San Remo before Italy’s Grand Tour. “We saw it was possible to do both because Pogaฤar managed it. The Slovenian’s example could act as a source of inspiration for Remco,” said Lefevere.
The idea of a Giro-Tour double for Evenepoel in 2024 was briefly considered after the Tour presentation last October. However, it was eventually dismissed with the Olympic Games being another target for the summer. Lefevere also hinted that the decision for 2025 would be made soon, with the main targets decided in October during team meetings and fine-tuning coming later in the year.
Fan Expectations and Event Participation
Many Belgian fans hope to see the World and Olympic Time Trial Champion follow Pogaฤar’s tracks and race the Tour of Flanders. However, Lefevere indirectly rejected the idea of combining Flanders with other major races for now. “He’s not overly in agreement with that particular idea,” he told Derniรจre Heure. This year, we already hesitated to put him in Sanremo because it’s a 300-kilometre race and that takes a lot out of you.”
Lefevere added, “Cycling has changed. Riders no longer need to do La Primavera as a warm-up race. They train differently. For sure one day he’ll do Flanders and Milan-San Remo, but maybe when he’s achieved his biggest target of all: winning all three Grand Tours. Afterwards, we’d see. Above all, we have to be sure that he continues to enjoy himself.”
Training and Preparation
As the countdown to the ultra-long World Championships in Zurich looms, Evenepoel is putting in some intense training. The idea of doing a ‘homage’ ride in the environs of the Swiss town of Sankt Moritz, where compatriot Johan Museeuw trained before winning the Worlds in Lugano in 1996, has been dropped due to distance issues. However, Evenepoel is still expected to complete a seven-hour training ride on Wednesday.
Like Evenepoel, Museeuw was also a rider with Lefevere back in the 1990s. Lefevere is adamant that the younger pro is already in a class of his own. “If you look at Remco’s palmares and the medals he’s won, only one conclusion is possible. He’s the best rider who ever raced for me,” Lefevere concluded.
