Very few people could live with Remco Evenepoel when he reaches for the afterburners and at times last season he was out front alone in the hardest races. But that didn't stop this amateur rider trying to sit on the world champion as he did a 12-minute interval during a training camp in Calpe, Spain.
The amateur cyclist, Artem Shcherbyna, did a great job of hanging on to Evenepoel for a long time, frustrating the young Belgian when he checked over his shoulder and found he still had company despite the effort he was putting in. He gestured with his hand for Shcherbyna to back off, saying "stop".
While Shcherbyna was sitting at close to 400 watts, once Evenepoel kept the effort going and then kicked a little harder as the road climbed upwards, the gap between him and his passenger soon opened.
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There was the inevitable divided opinions expressed on Instagram when Shcherbyna shared his story. Some people believe he should have been more "respectful" to a pro rider and backed off while others praised him for his effort and his interesting video.
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"The guys are working there in their 'office', let them work and give them their space. They are also not walking into your office," said former pro rider Marcus Burghardt, clearer forgetting they were on a public road and that the incident was just a bit of fun with no harm done, or intended.
