The Belgian rider Remco Evenepoel, forced to forfeit the Giro due to Covid-19, will not catch up with the Tour de France this year.
Remco Evenepoel «will not be in the Tour de FranceThis year, Patrick Lefevere, the boss of his Soudal-Quick Step team, told RTBF on Wednesday, putting an end to speculation born after the Fleming’s retirement from the Giro. “We are not going to change his program, it would not be very smart“, said Lefevere to the Belgian Radio-television.
«He’s a newlywed and he saw his wife only ten days. The best for him is to recover, to relax. We will then do the post-Covid health examinations and redo a program“, he added. The 23-year-old Belgian prodigy announced on Sunday evening that he was leaving the Tour of Italy, of which he was the leader and the big favorite, because of a positive test for Covid-19.
“Too early” to think about the Vuelta
This early withdrawal had fueled speculation as to the possibility of advancing his discovery of the Tour de France to 2023, while his team’s plan provides for a first participation in 2024 only. Patrick Lefevere therefore closes the door to a change of program, while another major objective, the Worlds in Glasgow in August, awaits his rider, reigning world champion.
«There will be the Worlds in early August, but regarding a possible participation in the Vuelta, it’s too early to talk about it“, underlined the boss of Soudal-Quick Step. Evenepoel is also the outgoing winner of the Tour of Spain which will start at the end of August.
