'Win all three' – Remco Evenepoel already dreaming of Tour de France and Giro d’Italia after Vuelta triumph

ByBen Snowball

Updated 11/09/2022 at 22:06 GMT

La Vuelta: check. Giro d’Italia and Tour de France: to follow? Remco Evenepoel is making good on his bags of potential after securing a first Grand Tour title on Sunday, banishing memories of his disappointing debut over three weeks at the Giro last year. The Belgian is already dreaming of the full set – and that means a likely showdown with Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar at the Tour.

Moments after becoming the first Belgian in 44 years to win a Grand Tour at La Vuelta, Remco Evenepoel revealed his ultimate dream to Eurosport’s Alberto Contador: “win all three.”

The Belgian (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) cruised through the procession into Madrid on Sunday to deliver the first of those three titles in Spain, with his sights now turning to the Tour de France and Giro d’Italia.

“Win all three Grand Tours, that’s my biggest dream,” Evenepoel told seven-time Grand Tour champion Contador.

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Addressing those who doubted his ability to last the full three weeks, Evenepoel said: “I’m here in the red jersey so I think I can go well in the Grand Tours. I think this is really good for my future, the team’s future and for my confidence.”

Evenepoel also appeared to hint at a Giro-Vuelta double in 2023.

“Now we’re going to rewatch everything that we did before this Vuelta and then we can take this into the future and use it as preparation for the Giro and Vuelta.”

A potential four-way showdown between Jonas Vingegaard, Tadej Pogacar, Egan Bernal and Evenepoel is already being hyped for the 2023 Tour de France, although Quick-Step are yet to reveal Evenepoel's plans for next season.

Evenepoel’s triumph in Spain added to his solo triumph at Liege-Bastogne-Liege earlier this season and sets up the tantalising possibility of a memorable treble in 2022, with the 22-year-old set to compete for Belgium at the UCI Road World Championships in Wollongong, Australia later this month.

Evenepoel already on path to join 'some of the greatest cyclists of all time' – Lloyd

Speaking on The Breakaway, Eurosport expert Dan Lloyd said Evenepoel could move closer to "some of the greatest cyclists of all time" if he caps a memorable season by winning a title in Australia, says Eurosport expert Dan Lloyd.

“It’s so exciting. I want him to enjoy this moment – even though he’s got the World Championships coming up – before he starts thinking about next year, to really soak in what he’s done because it’s phenomenal,” said Lloyd.

“He was one of the youngest winners of a monument in a long, long time when he won Liege–Bastogne–Liege with an attack that was about 40 kilometres solo.

“That doesn’t happen very much. I can’t even remember the last time it happened at the Liege–Bastogne–Liege. So to add a Grand Tour to a Monument, and potentially a world title in either the time trial or the road race – that’s not outside the realms of possibility... if he achieves either of those it puts him even further towards some of the greatest cyclists of all time.

“But even just with the Monument and the Grand Tour, he’s already right up there with some incredible names because not many people have done that in the past.

“It’s been a brilliant season for him. I just love the fact that he’s answering everybody’s questions because he was getting a lot of questions and a fair bit of criticism.”

Evenepoel is expected to compete in the elite men’s time trial (Sep 18) and road race (Sep 25) in Wollongong.

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