Dominating the road race, Evenepoel added the Olympic gold medal to his world title on Saturday, overcoming rain, a strong field, and the fatigue from the Tour de France to win the 32.4km individual time trial in Paris.
The 24-year-old finished nearly 15 seconds ahead of Italian Filippo Ganna, who took silver, while another Belgian, Wout van Aert, secured bronze, 25 seconds behind.
Ahead of the Paris Games, Evenepoel also became the first Belgian cyclist in over four decades to secure a spot on the overall podium at the prestigious Tour de France.
TimesofIndia.com caught up with Paris Olympics champion Evenepoel for an exclusive chat about his gold-medal finish, the Tour de France, and more…
How did it feel to win the Olympic gold medal?
I have so many emotions going through my body right now, it’s actually crazy. I had a blast after the finish of the Tour (de France, in which he finished third) and now this one is amazing. I have so many feelings and emotions rushing through my body. It’s, I think, one of the most beautiful moments in my life.
Relief. I mean, honestly, I was quite tired the whole week after the Tour. And I was a bit doubting if my level was going to be good enough to perform. But I feel good again, fresh again. So, that’s the emotions that came out on the finish line. Seeing that my time was still in green was just a crazy feeling and super positive so, yeah, amazing.
What significance does the Tour de France hold for cyclists?
The Tour de France is the biggest race in the cycling season, without a doubt. Every rider who can climb and is good at time trialing dreams about winning this race. The place in the calendar – everybody’s on holiday in July – combined with the unique scenery and the rich history of the race makes it the most important cycling event.
People often compare riding in the Tour de France to scaling Mount Everest. What are your thoughts on this? What makes the Tour de France one of the most coveted races in cycling?
I have never climbed Mount Everest, so I can’t compare. What makes the Tour de France so hard is the fact that each and every rider starts this race in peak form. Because this is the highlight of the season for each competitor.
How did it feel to win your first Grand Tour? This year, you also secured your first Tour de France stage win; how do you compare these achievements?
Winning the Vuelta was a dream come true for me. It gave me the confidence to aim high in the Grand Tours. Winning the stage in this year’s Tour made me join the club of riders who won stages in every Grand Tour. So I can be proud of that.
Can you describe a typical training day during the season?
There is no typical day of training in the season. The workload depends on the time of year. A slow start in November, training camps in December and January: this is the buildup preparing the classics season. I usually take a short break after Liège-Bastogne-Liège and go to altitude camp to prepare for the Tour de France.
How do you view the global competitiveness of cycling? What are your thoughts on the emerging talent from various countries?
In the early days you were at your best as a rider when you were 28 years of age. Nowadays you can win the Tour de France or a classic in your early twenties. Furthermore, cycling is becoming a global sport. We just witnessed the first African rider winning the green jersey in the Tour, so that’s a big deal for the cycling sport in general. And with the first World Championship road racing on African soil next year, the potential can only grow.
Have you observed the development of cycling in India? India recently hosted HindAyan, a multi-stage cycle race. Do you think this will inspire a new generation in India to pursue cycling as a sport?
India is a big country. With so many inhabitants there has to be cycling talent in that country. That’s just a question of numbers. It would be a good thing for cycling if India could develop that talent and organise more races.
Cycling is a popular hobby for many. What hobbies do professional cyclists typically have?
I’m a sports fanatic in general. If I’m not training or racing, I like to watch athletes perform on television.
Do you have any pre-race rituals that you’d like to share?
There is no specific pre race-ritual before a road race. But when there’s a time trial on the program I have my own warming up-rituals, including very loud dance music.