After winning historic double gold medals in the Paris Olympic Games road events, Remco Evenepoel returns to action at the Tour of Britain, race organisers confirmed on Friday. Evenepoel will be joined by Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe in the Soudal-QuickStep line-up for the race.
The Tour of Britain begins on September 3 in Kelso and is six stages long, ending on Sunday, September 8 in Felixstowe.
Alaphilippe is a two-time winner of the Tour of Britain (2018, 2021) while Evenepoel will be making his debut.
Other stars to line up in the Tour of Britain include Ethan Vernon (Israel-Premier Tech), fresh off the silver medal in the men’s Team Pursuit at the Olympics, and Tour de France mountains classification winner Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X Mobility).
A total of 18 teams and 108 riders are due to take part in the Pro Series race.
Evenepoel became the first male rider to win both the individual time trial and the road race at the Olympics when he survived a late puncture to solo to victory in Paris.
He is focussed on the UCI Road World Championships, which will be held in Zurich in September, and will defend his title in the individual time trial. He will also likely face off against his Tour de France rival Tadej Pogačar in the road race.
“Tadej is the best rider in the world, he will be motivated in Zurich,” Evenepoel told Het Laatste Nieuws this week. “I can go to the World Championship with little pressure, I have these Olympic titles for four years.
“But if I go to a World Championship, it will be to aim high. I have a chance to win both titles: both courses suit me and the Belgian team will be very strong. Nothing is sure but I will definitely try.”
