'Top 5 at the Tour de France is the ambition' says Remco Evenepoel

Sporting a new haircut that has already set the internet abuzz, Soudal Quick-Step's Remco Evenepoel was suited and booted on Sunday evening, when he was awarded the honour of Sportsman of the Year at the Lotto Sport Belgian Gala of Sport.

Speaking to Het Nieuwsblad at the event, the three-time winner of the award laid out his ambitions for 2024, centred around Liège-Bastogne-Liège, the Tour de France and finally, the Olympic Games.

“Next season is fixed on Liège, the Tour and the Olympic Games in Paris with the World Championships behind it,” Evenepoel said. “My ambitions? I hope for a third victory in Liège, it is a dream to leave Paris with two medals.”

“And then there's the Tour. That will be a journey of discovery. With [Jonas] Vingegaard, [Tadej] Pogačar and [Primož] Roglič, the gods of the circuit are at the start. Top five is the ambition. It would already be a dream come true if I performed better than one of these three. And of course, riding to win is also allowed. Then I [will have] won a stage in the three Grand Tours.”

Read more: Tour de France 2024 route revealed

Evenepoel to race fewer events between his big targets in 2024

Evenepoel may look back on 2023 as disappointing in parts and admitted that his 2022 campaign was better, but the Belgian finished the year with the most Grand Tour stage wins of any rider. The 23-year-old won two stages at the Giro d'Italia before bowing out with COVID, and then ended the Vuelta a España with three stage wins on his way to claiming the polka-dot jersey.

Read more: Chicken slices and three cans of Fanta - Remco Evenepoel’s time trial-winning breakfast

In neither race was Evenepoel able to chase his general classification ambitions, but his achievements nonetheless take his tally of Grand Tour stage victories to seven - two in the Giro and five in the Vuelta. All that is left for Evenepoel to claim the triple is a stage win at the Tour de France - a race the Belgian has never started, but is looking to begin in tip-top shape next summer.

© Sprint Cycling Agency

Remco Evenepoel will be hoping to become the first Belgian winner of the Tour de France since Lucien Van Impe in 1976

"I want to start my preparation for the Tour with a fresh and empty head," said Evenepoel.

"What I can say is that I will not finish any altitude internship for Liège. It will be a season with few races. From May, in the build-up to the Tour and the [Olympic] Games, I will no longer be at home and alternate altitude blocks with racing. So I want to spend as much as possible in my Spanish base for Liège, close to the family. I can train well uphill, it is easier to ride kilometres with the time trial bike. And most importantly, it will keep me mentally fresh."

The past season has been full of trials and tribulations for the Belgian, with his GC disappointments coupled with the disruption of a rumoured team merger with Jumbo-Visma and the continued discussion that so heavily surrounds Evenepoel's performances - Johan Museeuw was the latest to chip in, suggesting that the 23-year-old would be best served on another team next season.

Read more: Johan Museeuw: Remco Evenepoel has a better chance of winning the Tour de France on another team

However, the current time trial world champion and former road race world champion simply takes it all in his stride, going as far as to say that through the setbacks suffered, he has become a better rider heading into next season.

"Perhaps that was my greatest merit of the past year, that I always found the strength to climb back out of the valley," he reflected.

"I almost always immediately found the focus to perform back. The past year has made me mentally stronger, I have got to know myself better.”