Remco Evenepoel gets off to a strong start with Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe

Remco Evenepoel’s adventure with Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe got off to the best possible start. The Belgian champion was one of the key men in winning the team time trial of the Trofeo Ses Salines, a race valid for the Challenge Mallorca, held Thursday in the Balearic Islands.

On the 23.8-kilometer course, the German lineup set a blistering pace, finishing the stage in 23″55″ at an average close to 60 km/h. Evenepoel, a three-time world champion in the specialty, stood out for the quality and continuity of his changes, proving decisive in the final success.

At the finish, the Belgian commented positively on his first outing of the season to the microphones of Eurosport:
“It went well. The course was not particularly challenging in terms of elevation gain, but a team time trial is still very tough. Starting the season with a win is definitely a positive sign”.

That of Ses Salines represented a first in the history of the Mallorca Challenge, spread over five days of racing until Sunday. Attention on the event was also high with a view to the future, considering that the team time trial will be featured in the first stage of the Tour de France, scheduled for July 4 in Barcelona.

“Every course is different and it is difficult to determine what can be improved – explained Evenepoel -. But for this test we really came close to perfection”.

The most delicate moment came in the uphill section, where it was not a given that we could finish with four riders. “We handled the situation well. Nico Denz was on an excellent day, he made excellent changes, and everyone did their job. It was a very solid performance and a good reference ahead of the Tour”, concluded the Belgian.