Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep) should wait till 2024 earlier than he can take a primary victory within the particular person time trial Global Champion’s jersey, falling wanting the win at his ultimate race of the season at the back of Josh Tarling (Ineos Grenadiers) on the Chrono des International locations.
Evenepoel continues to be most effective 23, regardless of his enjoy on the best degree, however is 4 years Tarling’s senior. The nineteen-year-old has been improbable in his neo-pro season, simply as Evenepoel was once in 2019, taking 4 wins together with one at WorldTour degree along a countrywide and continental identify within the particular person time trial.
The Belgian was once inspired by means of the younger Brit because the pair have been the one riders in a position to keeping up a 52 kph reasonable velocity over the 45.4km path, and admitted he’s going to be alive to the specter of Tarling’s skill come time trials in long term.
“That can stay me sharp and wakeful. If I wish to beat Tarling or [Filippo] Ganna at some point, it’ll be in the main points,” mentioned Evenepoel to Het Laatste Nieuws. “Those are males with actual energy. I can need to paintings laborious this iciness to make growth.”
Tarling and Ganna have been the duo that completed at the podium at the back of Evenepoel within the time trial on the UCI Highway Global Championships in Stirling, with the lightest of the 3 popping out on best and taking every other rainbow jersey so as to add to his highway race global identify from the 12 months prior.
The Brit was once some of the youngest-ever riders to complete at the podium of the elite ITT Worlds and the primary since Evenepoel to do in at age 19. The Belgian did pass one higher than Tarling in 2019, completing 2d, no longer 3rd as a teen.
On the Chrono des International locations, on the other hand, Tarling was once quickest at each and every of the intermediate time exams, retaining his tough pace all of the solution to the road in Les Herbiers. He added the senior race to his junior Chrono des International locations victory from 2022.
“If any individual is a bit bit higher, I’ve to simply accept that. I attempted my absolute best, I could not experience sooner than this lately,” Evenepoel mentioned. “Tarling were given off to a sooner get started and has maintained that lead. I should not make excuses. The season is over now.
“I will have mentioned at the second one intermediate level: ok, I’m going to let it pass now, I would possibly not battle anymore. I nonetheless rode on personality. I nonetheless had the religion that I may just go back regardless of that headwind.”
Evenepoel was once not able to make up the deficit, finishing the race 13 seconds down on Tarling, along with his win tally for 2023 final at 13, and his total victories at 50 after a hat-trick of level triumphs on the Vuelta a España.
The 3 wins in Spain, on the other hand, have been a silver lining for the Belgian as he ignored out on his larger objective of shielding the total identify on the Vuelta which went to Sepp Kuss (Jumbo-Visma), and an unlucky crash ruined his probabilities of combating for victory at Il Lombardia.
“Because the Vuelta, I’ve had issue discovering actual shape once more. It has no longer been a very easy summer season, regardless of the nice effects,” Evenepoel mentioned.
The Belgian is in a position for a wreck after 67 days of laborious racing in 2023 and all of the stresses that got here with a deliberate merger/take-over with Jumbo-Visma, which by no means got here to fruition. To not point out all of the switch rumours that adopted him till his affirmation of staying with Soudal-QuickStep after Lombardia.
He’ll search for additional luck and a 2d Grand Excursion victory in 2024, along with his presence additionally anticipated on the place to begin of the Excursion de France along GC titans Tadej Pogačar (UAE Crew Emirates), Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) and the newly-transferred Primož Roglič (Bora-Hansgrohe).