Remco Evenepoel shrugs off altitude camp chaos ahead of Catalunya test

Remco Evenepoel will line up in Catalonia after what he described as an unnecessarily complicated end to his high altitude block on Teide. Severe weather, including snow and strong winds, threatened to derail his travel plans to Barcelona, forcing a last minute adjustment just to make the start.

“The measures from the authorities were maybe a bit too extreme,” Evenepoel said to Sporza. “In the end, it was still quite doable to get down from the mountain.”

He eventually left by car, navigating conditions that were tense but manageable. “There were about ten minutes where it was really dangerous, but after that it was dry. There was more stress and hassle than necessary.”

The timing could have been worse. Evenepoel was in the middle of a key training session when the situation escalated. “I was doing my interval session on the rollers when they told me I had an hour to leave, but the main work was already done.”

Crucially, he does not believe the disruption cost him anything meaningful. “I didn’t really miss anything because of it. In the afternoon I was still able to ride lower down, and the next day I could spin the legs. I made it here and that’s what matters.”

The Belgian arrives with the confidence that the camp delivered what it needed to. “I was able to do everything that was planned.”

The training camp followed a disappointing UAE Tour for the 26-year-old Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe rider. After a very strong start to the season, with six victories in Spanish races and the time trial win in the UAE Tour, Evenepoel struggled once the road started to climb in the Emirati race. In the end, he finished tenth, 2:25 minutes behind winner Isaac del Toro.

Looking ahead to the coming week, the focus is clear: a checkpoint in his progression. “I try to get the maximum out of it and I want to test myself to see if I’ve improved compared to last month,” he said.

As always, ambition remains part of the equation. “Like always, we aim for stage wins and to finish as high as possible in the general classification. But first we focus on winning stages, and then you automatically move up in the standings. Winning is also always good for the team spirit and the head.”

He shares leadership duties with Florian Lipowitz, a pairing that is set to continue into the Tour de France later this season. Tactics, however, remain fluid. “We haven’t really had a proper discussion about the strategy yet. Most of the route might suit me a bit better with the more explosive efforts.”

Decisions will be made on instinct as the race unfolds. “It will depend on how we feel and how we read each other. Then we can decide last minute what to do. In any case, it’s a good first test towards the Tour to get used to each other.”

Among his main rivals is Jonas Vingegaard, fresh from a dominant display at Paris-Nice, and Evenepoel welcomes that challenge. “It was nice to see him race like that. Hopefully we get more of that this week, with attacks and opening up the race early. That’s also to my advantage.”

The Volta a Catalunya runs from March 23 to 29 and features three uphill finishes. Explore the full route in our stage-by-stage guide.