Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep) was the red hot favourite for overall victory starting Giro d'Italia and when he won the opening stage TT so convincingly it seemed he may go on to completely dominate the race. But on the 2.8km climb of Cappuccini, towards the end of Saturday's stage 8, the young Belgian slipped back. He was unable to match Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma) as he gradually rode away, eventually dragging the Ineos Grenadiers due of Tao Geoghegan Hart and Geraint Thomas with him.
While they only gain 14 seconds on a seven-man group containing Evenepoel - and Ireland's Eddie Dunbar (Team Jayco AlUla) - the Belgian's time loss was the most significant factor on the stage. In eight stages, Evenepoel's complete dominance had turned to the first sign of weakness. And that happened as Roglič made what was only his first move of the race.
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After the stage, Evenepoel looked shook. His sports directeur tried to explain his slipping back on the climb by stating the world champion had not done any training for ascents like Cappuccini. In unusual remarks - especially about a rider who dominated the recent Liège-Bastogne-Liège with its multiple short and sharp climbs - DS Klaas Lodewyck said the lack of specific training was the main issue for Evenepoel today, but not the only issue.
“Remco has not trained for that kind of effort,” said Lodewyck. “This was twice as long as La Redoute, a very different effort. Also because of everything that had happened before, a lot of guys wouldn't have expected it to be such a hellish ride. Of course we expected war, but it went quickly from the start and then it never stopped.”
Evenepoel said the same thing, stating: “I had not specifically prepared for this stage.” But he also suggested his two crashes on stage 5 left him with wounds and other injuries that had played up both on stage 8 and overnight before the stage.
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"Last night a lot of dirty fluid came out of the wounds", Evenepoel said. “The third day after a fall is the worst. Not the second day as everyone says.”
His DS Lodewyck agreed with those remarks, saying the wounds had proven trickier than expected. “All things from the crash that are still returning,” said Lodewyck. “Even after the stage, you could see a lot of (fluid) on the plasters, especially on his buttock. But whether that is the cause of the loss of time? I do not think so."
Lodewyck added when Evenepoel looked at his data today, he had ridden the power values he was aiming for, though perhaps his pacing on the climb, as he pursued Roglič, was a mistake.
“Remco says he wanted to ride across to Roglič too quickly (on the climb). He got to within five seconds, but then his legs exploded a bit. On the descent he couldn't close the gap anymore, even though the Ineos men didn't really ride with Roglič.
“Remco drove the values he wanted to ride. He just paced a bit wrong and he is a bit dissatisfied about that. But Roglic just had a super day, there's not much more to say about it. There was certainly no disaster today.”
