Remco Evenepoel Races for Olympic Road Gold
Remco Evenepoel is among the favorites for the Olympic road race this weekend, following his gold medal win in the time trial.
The Belgian cyclist will face a tough course in Paris, with a steep climb to the final summit and difficult stretches of cobbles.
Remco Evenepoel and his teammates did a slow recon ride of the course earlier this week, but Mathieu van der Poel opted out, choosing instead to train in the countryside.
Van der Poel explained to Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad that he didn't find the slow ride useful, preferring to watch videos of the course.
The Olympic road race is a key event for Remco Evenepoel, who has already won gold in the time trial, and he will be looking to add to his medal tally.
The course in Paris is similar to some of the spring one-day Classics, such as Paris-Nice, which tend to favor riders with big power and bike-handling ability.
The men's road race will take place on Saturday, with the women's event following on Sunday, and both will depart from the Pont d'Iena, the bridge at the base of the Eiffel Tower.
The riders will face a challenging course, with 273 kilometers to cover for the men and 158 kilometers for the women.
Remco Evenepoel's Belgian team is strong, with Wout van Aert, Jasper Stuyven, and Tiesj Benoot all in good shape.
The team has multiple cards to play, with Evenepoel saying "Luckily, I’m not the lonely leader in my team".
The finishing circuit at Montmartre will be crucial, with a steep climb and difficult cobbles that could throw open the entire race.
Lorena Wiebes, the leader of the Dutch team, found the finishing circuit tougher than expected, saying "That last climb at Montmartre is 10 kilometers from the finish, but the peloton will be stretched".
The course will favor riders with big power and bike-handling ability, such as Mathieu van der Poel or the Belgian squad.
Remco Evenepoel will be looking to use his skills to his advantage, having already won the Olympic time trial with a time of 57:38 on July 27, 2024.
The Olympic road race will be a key test for Evenepoel, who finished third in the Tour de France earlier this year.