'There’s space on my right leg' - Ralph Denk offers Evenepoel a very unusual bet ahead of Worlds

Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe CEO Ralph Denk has stated that he is willing to make an unusual bet with Remco Evenepoel involving a tattoo ahead of the World Championships in Montréal. 

In an interview with Het Laatste Nieuws, Denk explained that if the Belgian wins the road race on 27 September, then the German team boss would be willing to get Evenepoel’s initials tattooed onto himself. 

“There’s space on my right leg, but it’s up to Remco to take me up on it,” Denk told Het Laatste Nieuws. 

Denk explained that he committed to a similar deal with Peter Sagan ahead of the 2017 Worlds in Bergen, Norway. The Slovakian was aiming to become the first rider to win three consecutive elite men’s road race titles, prompting Denk to offer a unique added incentive. 

“On the morning of the road race, we made a deal: if he didn’t win, my name would go on his leg. If he did win, I’d have to get my name tattooed on my leg,” said Denk. 

Sagan would go on to outsprint Alexander Kristoff, claiming his third consecutive rainbow jersey in a photo finish, and Denk fulfilled his promise. 

“Peter [Sagan] already had plenty of tattoos; I had none. I went on a ski trip five days later, and a fresh tattoo isn’t exactly ideal inside ski boots, but I kept my word. It remains the only tattoo on my body.”

While Denk has left the door open for a similar deal with Evenepoel, he quickly shut down including the time trial event as an option, with the Belgian looking for a fourth consecutive title.

“I’d only do it for a world title in the road race, though. I’m not making a bet with Remco for the time trial; getting a tattoo like that is too painful,” he concluded.