Remco Evenepoel searches for the right balance after UAE Tour: 'We have adjusted his training'

In an interview with Het Nieuwsblad , performance coach John Wakefield points to clear progress behind the scenes. “On training we managed to make progress in the areas where it was needed,” he says. Those gains were especially visible in shorter, more explosive efforts.

That progress showed in the race against the clock at the UAE Tour. “His time trial was phenomenal,” Wakefield says. The issue came elsewhere. “Only his climbing performances were not great.”

Evenepoel was unable to make an impact in the two mountain stages in the UAE, finishing 18th at 2:04 and 15th at 0:52 behind stage winners Antonio Tiberi and Isaac Del Toro.

According to the team, that had more to do with timing than with ability. Evenepoel moved quickly from Mallorca to Valencia, where he did impress with six wins, and then into the UAE Tour, with little room to absorb the workload. “It was indeed a matter of load,” Wakefield explains. “Maybe it was a bit too much and that built up fatigue that affected his performance.”

The response has been to tweak the training approach. “We have adjusted his training schedule,” Wakefield says. “Not so much the volume, but the intensity.” The aim is to arrive fresher in races without losing the gains made in recent months.

The work on VO2 max remains part of the plan. Wakefield is clear about its importance. “You need those shorter efforts to improve your VO2 max,” he says. “But a higher VO2 max will also help you sustain longer efforts.”

The bigger question after the UAE Tour is how Evenepoel will measure up against the best climbers in the Volta a Catalunya. Within the team there was no hesitation. “There is a real chance that Evenepoel can follow him,” Wakefield said, referring to Jonas Vingegaard. The question now is whether that remains realistic after Wednesday's crash, and how much his injuries will affect him.

Florian Lipowitz, last year third in the Tour de France, offers another option within the team, but there is no fixed hierarchy. “If one of them is in a strong position in the general classification, we will adapt,” Wakefield says. Decisions will be made on the road, not in advance.

The Tour de France remains the main objective for both, though expectations are kept in check. “On paper, yes,” Wakefield says when asked if winning with one of the riders is realistic. “But you depend on support, competition and also luck along the way.”