'It's something exciting' - Evenepoel welcomes Vingegaard challenge at Vuelta a España

Remco Evenepoel
Remco Evenepoel won the Vuelta a Espana in 2022 (Image credit: Getty Images)

Remco Evenepoel returns to the Vuelta a España as defending champion, but he was careful about talking up his prospects of carrying the maillot rojo to Madrid when he met with reporters on Thursday afternoon, stating his objective was “to go for the final podium.”

The addition of Tour de France champion Jonas Vingegaard to a Jumbo-Visma squad that already contained three-time Vuelta winner Primož Roglič has certainly complicated Evenepoel’s task on this occasion, but his caution was born, too, of his untimely abandon at May’s Giro d’Italia.

Barry Ryan
Head of Features

Barry Ryan is Head of Features at Cyclingnews. He has covered professional cycling since 2010, reporting from the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and events from Argentina to Japan. His writing has appeared in The Independent, Procycling and Cycling Plus. He is the author of The Ascent: Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche and the Rise of Irish Cycling’s Golden Generation, published by Gill Books.