Remco Evenepoel digs deep after attack on Cumbre del Sol: "Hard to maintain pace"
Remco Evenepoel convincingly won the fourth stage of the Tour of Valencia on Sunday. However, the 26-year-old Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe leader admitted he had to dig deep in the finale. "I had to give it my all until the finish. It was very tough," he told Eurosport.
"Of course, I went all-out on the final part of the Cumbre del Sol," Evenepoel reflected on his decisive attack. "After that, we turned left onto the main road and faced a headwind. So it was very difficult to maintain the pace. But I knew: if it was hard for me, it was also hard for the chasers. I kept pushing."
"I wanted to win for the team because they were incredible. From the first to the last meter, they worked for me. Everyone did their part. No one helped us, which I completely understand. To finish according to the plan we wanted is fantastic. It was also great to see Giulio (teammate Giulio Pellizzari, ed.) finish third after such a strong performance. Incredible. It was a great day for us."
Plan
Evenepoel attacked on the Cumbre del Sol and then rode solo for twelve kilometers to secure the victory. That was exactly the plan. "We wanted to make the race hard from the start. That’s why we decided to set a high pace at Alto de Miserat. After that, we kept control. We never panicked. The time bonuses at the intermediate sprint before Cumbre del Sol were already gone, but we knew we would go all-out on the climb. What you saw was the plan. Amazing."
Finally, Evenepoel said he found it "very nice" to race in the Calpe area. He has his Spanish base in this region and often trains on these roads. "It felt comfortable, like coming home. Especially the road to Calpe, which I ride almost daily. It was beautiful to race here."
"I really wanted to win. Also for the team. In recent days, they showed pure dedication. Everyone sticks to the plan. It feels fantastic to get all the support from my teammates, the team directors, and all the staff."
