Remco Evenepoel has signalled his opposition to the inclusion of gravel roads at the path of the 2024 Excursion de France. The Belgian’s issues echo the ones voiced via his Soudal-QuickStep supervisor Patrick Lefevere after the direction was once offered in Paris on Wednesday.
Level 9 of subsequent yr’s Excursion will characteristic no fewer than 32.2km of gravel roads, allotted throughout 14 sections. The 199km level round Troyes appears to be like set to offer some of the pivotal afternoons of all of the race.
Evenepoel’s previous enjoy of racing on gravel in a Grand Excursion was once an unsatisfied one, as he misplaced over two mins at the street to Montalcino at the 2021 Giro d’Italia. He additionally conceded the total lead of the 2022 Volta a l. a. Comunitat Valenciana at the gravel phase of the Alto Antenas del Maigmó Tibi.
Chatting with Het Laatste Nieuws, Evenepoel prompt that the gravel roads of the Champagne area didn’t belong at the Excursion de France.
“Separate occasions and championships for gravel are already being organised,” Evenepoel mentioned. “Must gravel sections like that totally nonetheless be incorporated in a Grand Excursion or in different, standard, races? I do not in reality suppose it is essential.”
Evenepoel’s crew supervisor Patrick Lefevere and Jumbo-Visma boss Richard Plugge have each additionally pop out towards the inclusion of the gravel sectors within the Grand Excursion, with Plugge announcing that the level is “needless”.
“I believe this is a bit needless [to include gravel],” he mentioned previous this week. “It will increase the danger of dangerous good fortune. We wish the combat to be as honest as conceivable. A journey like this, individually, does now not give a contribution to that”
Regardless of his previous travails on gravel, Evenepoel has additionally raced at the floor via selection, lining out on the Belgian Waffle Experience in Kansas within the Autumn of 2021. He additionally identified that he once in a while accommodates gravel roads in his coaching rides in Belgium.
“After I educate in Pajottenland, I occasionally go over to Leuven, which isn’t that a ways away, and I occasionally dare to tackle the sort of gravel sector,” Evenepoel mentioned. “In case you are fortunate, the rather unfastened floor will likely be onerous, and it’s going to really feel like you’re simply driving on asphalt.”
Evenepoel is anticipated to make his Excursion de France debut in 2024 on a path that includes some 59km of time trialling, however he has additionally floated the theory of returning to the Giro d’Italia, which he deserted whilst dressed in the maglia rosa in Might.
Lefevere, on the other hand, has strongly urged Evenepoel towards making an attempt the Giro-Excursion double, in particular given his aspirations on the Paris 2024 Olympics.
“He nonetheless has an account open with the Giro and he was once taking into account combining the Excursion and the Giro,” Lefevere informed Sporza. “However with what comes subsequent, with the Olympic Video games, as an example, the Giro-Excursion mixture does now not appear to be the most efficient thought to me.”