Why Remco Evenepoel has retired his famous phone celebration

Remco Evenepoel had something new ready if he managed to win in Québec. A few hours later, he finally got the chance to show it.

After beating Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek) in a two man sprint to win the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec, Evenepoel crossed the line and produced a celebration nobody had seen from him before. With his right hand he appeared to make a pair of binoculars around his eye, while using his left hand to point into the distance.

It could now become the Belgian's new trademark.

“I just wanted something new, something that nobody had done before,” Evenepoel explained afterwards, as quoted by HLN.

The idea was born partly because Evenepoel wanted to move away from the phone celebration that had become associated with some of his biggest victories.

“That was something I copied from someone else,” he admitted.

Evenepoel had used the gesture after major victories including his Olympic road race title in Paris. It was inspired by American tennis player Ben Shelton, who became known for pretending to answer and then hang up a phone after winning matches.

For Evenepoel, it was time to find something that belonged to him.

“Oumi thought it was time that I had something of my own,” he said.

That proved harder than simply coming up with something on the spot. Evenepoel revealed that he and his wife Oumaima “Oumi” Rayane had been thinking about possible celebrations for weeks.

“We had a month to think about it together,” Evenepoel said.

Even on the morning of the race in Québec, the celebration was still part of the conversation at home.

“This morning I agreed with the people at home that I would do it,” he explained.

The celebration followed an impressive victory in a record fast edition of the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec, raced at an average speed of 43.8 kilometres per hour.

Evenepoel attacked with 42 kilometres remaining, joined the decisive move and helped reduce the front group to three riders. Anthon Charmig (Uno-X Mobility) was dropped inside the final two kilometres, leaving Evenepoel and Ciccone to fight for victory.

Ciccone stayed with the Belgian after his final acceleration, but Evenepoel was comfortably stronger in the sprint and claimed his first victory in 41 days.

The timing could hardly be better. With the World Championships approaching, Evenepoel has made clear that he is targeting both the time trial and road race rainbow jerseys.

His win in Québec suggested he is hitting form at just the right time, and if he can carry that momentum into the coming weeks, fans may soon get another glimpse of his new celebration.

“I hope it will become my signature celebration,” Evenepoel said.