'Destiny gave me a different result' - Evenepoel rues costly bike changes at Worlds

Remco Evenepoel began the World Championships road race as Tadej Pogačar’s chief rival and he ended it with a silver medal, but his challenge was torpedoed by a series of bike changes just after the Slovenian had launched the winning move on Mont Kigali with 104km to go.

Perhaps everything could have been different for Evenepoel without that turbulence, but there’s no way of knowing for sure. He was certainly the best of the rest behind the unassailable Pogačar, soloing clear of the chasers with 20km to go to take silver, but his disappointment was palpable at the finish.

After rolling in 1:28 down on Pogačar, Evenepoel paused and stared into space before dissolving into tears. Winner of a third straight time trial title last week, Evenepoel set out believing he could add a second road title to his palmarès, but it wasn’t to be.

“I was here to take the double, of course,” Evenepoel told Eurosport after the podium ceremony. “I was feeling good, but today destiny gave me a different result.”

Evenepoel’s Belgian had policed the peloton on the early laps, but the complexion of race changed on Mont Kigali. When Pogačar attacked near the summit, Evenepoel was immediately on his wheel, but he lasted only a few hundred metres before swinging off. Clearly something was awry, and it later emerged that his saddle had tilted after he hit a pothole.

“Just before Mont Kigali, I took a hole in the road and my saddle dropped completely,” Evenepoel said. “As the climb went on, I was cramping up in the back of my legs. My position was completely different. Once Tadej attacked, I could follow him for half a minute but then I was completely cramping up. 

“I had to fight to the top because I knew there was going to be a bike ready in the feeding zone so I just had to fight to there to change the bike.”

At that point, with Pogačar 40 seconds up the road with Isaac del Toro, the situation was still retrievable, but Evenepoel’s challenge looked to be irreparably damaged when he stopped for another bike change a lap later. 

This time out, Evenepoel stopped on the roadside to wait for his team car, losing an estimated 42 seconds in the process and losing his cool, too. He kicked away a banana peel from the road as he waited with increasing frustration.

“I had the feeling the saddle was not on the same gradient, so I had pain in my lower back,” Evenepoel said. “I did one lap and every kilometre I was getting more pain, so I had to change bike again. Unfortunately, there was a barrage and I had to wait quite a long time for the car to come. And there was no radio communication, so I couldn’t say anything. I tried to say it to the [television] motorbike so they could know it in advance but yeah… Shit happens, probably.”

At that point, one wondered if Evenepoel would simply climb off, but he returned to the fray, eventually working his way back up to the chasing group that had formed a minute or so behind Pogačar.

He quickly took over the reins of pursuit, burning off men like Tom Pidcock (Great Britain) and Jai Hindley (Australia), but Pogačar’s gap never looked under threat. Evenepoel eventually took off alone with 20km to go, but he must already have known he was racing for silver rather than the rainbow jersey.

“I came to take the double, I was really feeling great and I had the feeling I could go out there with Tadej but unfortunately like I said, the situation in the race happened,” Evenepoel said. “It’s a mechanical sport as well, we all know that. Everything has to be perfect to become world champion.”

Evenepoel showed that a week ago by cruising to the time trial title, and he will seek to make amends for this disappointment in what remains of the season. Next week, he will be in France to chase two titles at the European Championships, and he will also hope for a rematch with Pogačar at Il Lombardia, his final race in Soudal-QuickStep colours.

“We had a very good week and it’s not finished yet,” Evenepoel said. “There are two Europeans waiting and Il Lombardia, and I want to finish on a high.”