As recently written on his LinkedIn profile by Ivan Basso, who has a special relationship with France (having twice been on the podium of the Tour de France), cycling at the Paris 2024 Olympics “is proving to the world that it’s a sport that connects people and creates unforgettable moments”. Following the Olympic golds in MTB Cross Country by Tom Pidcock and Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, the time trial and road race events saw Belgian Remco Evenepoel become the first cyclist in Olympic history to win two golds in the same edition of the Games.
Photo Credit: Zac Williams
From football to cycling, the destiny of a champion
At the age of 14, Remco Evenepoel was a young promising footballer in Belgium, one of the most talented left-backs his generation had seen so far, even wearing the national U15 and U16 jerseys. In 2017, Evenepoel moved up to the U19 team with great expectations. Unfortunately, a severe injury forced him to give up football forever. But if you are destined for greatness, defeat is never an option. With an "engine" built for greatness, he began dedicating himself wholeheartedly to cycling, following in the footsteps of his father Patrick, a professional cyclist in the '90s.
In seven years, Remco Evenepoel has written an important chapter in modern cycling history. European and World Championships have been his hunting ground for major medals, both in time trials and road races. In 2020, he participated in the Giro di Lombardia for the first time. Despite being the youngest professional at the start, he was the favorite. But destiny struck again. During the descent from Sormano (Como Lake), while trying to catch up with Vincenzo Nibali, he suffered a bad fall. He misjudged a curve, hit the wall of a bridge, and fell into a ravine. The outcome was grim: a fractured pelvis and a contusion to the right lung. He returned in 2021 after nine months of recovery. And he hasn't stopped since. Among the results achieved by the 24-year-old Soudal Quick-Step rider to date are: 1 Giro del Belgio, 2 times Liège-Bastogne-Liège, 1 Vuelta, 1 World Championship gold in Wollongong, 1 World Championship time trial gold in Glasgow, and a 3rd place at the 2024 Tour de France.
From the Tour de France to two Olympic golds in one week
Only a few days passed between the finish in Nice and Paris, and it was impressive to see two performances like those of Remco Evenepoel just days after his third place in the Tour de France: "The day after the Tour ended, I spent most of the day in bed, and the sensations in the following days were not great. Let's see if I can recover and beat everyone. I’ve done it before".
And so he did. Arriving in Paris as the reigning world time trial champion, he didn't shy away from criticizing the Olympic course ("The roads are crap, there are many holes, and it's not nice to ride over them on a time trial bike"), only to win by finishing ahead of Filippo Ganna and Wout van Aert, giving Belgium its first gold medal at the Olympics.
Photo Credit: Remco Evenepoel official Facebook page
A thrilling script unfolded in the road race, the longest ever at over 200 km in the style of a “grand classic”. But it was only in the last 40 km that the race came alive, when Mathieu van der Poel tried to attack on the climb of côte de la butte Montmartre, one of the crucial points of the course: "I was stuck between Remco and Wout - said the Paris-Roubaix winner and current world champion - and I thought that attacking at this point would help me change the course of the race. I knew Wout was always watching me, that's part of the game, but when Remco caught me and went away, I knew the race was over. He did well, I'm happy for him".
The last twist came less than 4 kilometers from the finish, near the Louvre. Remco Evenepoel realized he had a flat tire and stopped. He shouted to the mechanics for a bike change but didn't know he had more than a minute's advantage over the chasers. It all happened in a matter of seconds, which Remco recounted: "It was a rather stressful moment because I wasn't sure of the advantage I had. Just before the flat, they showed me a sign that said 25 seconds, but obviously, it was wrong. I shouted because I wanted a new bike as quickly as possible and to cross the finish line. Fortunately, everything went well".
Photo Credit: Zac Williams
On Bikeroom, the bikes of the great international cycling teams
Bikeroom thrives on great cycling and knows well the passion that drives the top teams in the international scene. That's why we have created a premium selection dedicated to time trialists and road racers, featuring models from the top international cycling teams: AG2R Citroën, Arkea Samsic Pro Cycling, Ineos Grenadier, Jumbo-Visma, Cofidis, and Movistar.
