La Vuelta 2022: The impulsive Remco Evenepoel is no more – Primoz Roglic should be terrified

It ain't what you do, it's the way that you do itAnd that's what gets results — Bananarama and the Fun Boy Three Was it really little more than a year ago that Remco Evenepoel was criticised by many of his fellow Belgians, including team-mates and Eddy Merckx, for the way he rode the Olympic road race? Ad “I think that it’s not the smartest attack I’ve done in my life”, Evenepoel admitted of the move he made 50km from the finish, which saw him blow up and of no use to co-leader Wout van Aert in the finale. Vuelta a EspañaRoglic admits he 'didn’t have legs' after Evenepoel humbling2 HOURS AGO Is it really less than a year since Evenepoel ignored the home team’s plan, and turned animator of the elite men’s World Championship road race in Flanders? “I did not understand why Remco attacked 180km from the finish when he had to be at my side with Jasper Stuyven in the final,” said Wout van Aert, after seeing Remco’s trade team-mate Julian Alaphilippe ride away to his second set of rainbow bands.

After the way he rode this afternoon in the Basque Country, it’s hard to imagine Evenepoel doing the same thing today. Physically, though unquestionably a year stronger, he is the same rider.

Psychologically, though, the difference is night and day. No, we are not comparing like with like.

In both the Worlds and the Olympics he was tasked with riding for someone else. Today the goal was to put himself on the podium.

To an extent, sure. Roglic 'should be worried' – but can Evenepoel survive three weeks? 'Roglic in trouble!' – Watch moment Evenepoel cracks star in 'biblical' rain La Vuelta GC standings Even though Evenepoel, in becoming the youngest rider to wear the Vuelta leader’s jersey in 34 years, claimed no modest amount of