Evenepoel wins debut race for Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe
Belgian cyclist Remco Evenepoel claimed his first victory as part of Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe on Thursday. The German team won the Trofeo Ses Salines, a 23.8-kilometre team time trial on the Spanish island of Mallorca.
Evenepoel lived up to his status as pre-race favourite. Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe were only third at the halfway point, but delivered the fastest second half, finishing with a time of 23:55. The new team of the double Olympic champion finished four seconds faster than runners-up Movistar.
Although the margin of victory was small, Evenepoel called the win an important boost. "What we did today was close to perfection," he said in an interview after the race. "It’s nice to start the season with a victory. This is good for morale, for me and for my new teammates."
Thursday’s race marked Evenepoel’s season debut and his first competitive appearance for Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe. The Belgian left Soudal Quick-Step last winter, seven years into his professional career. At his new team, one of the wealthiest in the peloton, he hopes to continue his development.
Dreams of Tour de France glory
Evenepoel hopes that his transfer will eventually result in winning the Tour de France, one of the few feats that the 26-year-old has yet to achieve in his career. “Of course, it's my dream to win the yellow jersey one day,” he told Irish journalist Daniel Benson earlier this week.
Whether Evenepoel will be able to do so this season, remains to be seen. "My gut feeling tells me that if everything goes well, I can compete for second place," he said. "As for first place, that depends on how strong Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard are."
#FlandersNewsService | © BELGA PHOTO ERIC LALMAND
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