Remco Evenepoel has been voted the Belgian of the Year for the second time in his career, after an incredible 2024 season saw him become the first man to win both the Olympic road race and time trial, alongside defending his ITT world title and finishing on the podium of his debut Tour de France.
After facing a setback at Itzulia Basque Country, where he fractured his collarbone in a mass crash, Evenepoel reached top form at the Tour in July. He took his first stage win and was the next best overall behind Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard, who between them have won the past five Tours.
After receiving his latest award, Evenepoel looked back on the year in conversation with Het Laatste Nieuws. Evenepoel, 24, revealed it was after his testing three weeks at the Tour that he realised history was on the cards when he headed to Paris 2024 for the Olympics.
"I quickly felt after the Tour: I can create something unique. I know myself and I knew: if I take care of myself, it can work," he told HLN while on holiday in Spain.
"After that first gold medal, I drove home and when I was eating with my parents and grandparents, I was in a flow and I said: 'If nothing happens – no fall, no bad luck – I will win again.' That's how much self-confidence I had. My loved ones already knew then that I would also win that second gold.
"The next morning we left for vacation and lying by the pool it started to sink in. That what I had achieved was 'out of this world'."
On reflection, the still-young Belgian is certain he will never surpass what he managed last August.
"I realize very well: those Games were the number one moment of my career. That's pretty crazy. My career is maybe not even halfway through, I don't know what's coming, but I've already had my number one."
Aside from looking back on the euphoria of what he achieved, Evenepoel was also very transparent about his current struggle with injury recovery. He's amid a rehabilitation period after reportedly riding into the door of a postal vehicle which suddenly opened in front of him and sustaining fractures to his rib, right shoulder blade and right hand.
"In the hospital, they told me that I had to have surgery as soon as possible, otherwise everything would grow wrong. I knew straight away that I would have a long rehabilitation period," he said, admitting he tried to stay positive but struggled in the weeks after.
"I doubted myself. Will I make it this year? Will it be okay? People don't see those things. They run into me in the shop. They ask how I'm doing, and then I laugh. I'm positive, but when I get home, I break down."
But Evenepoel is still as hungry as ever and eager to get back to health so he can focus on goals for the coming year. He's pencilled in a potential return to racing at De Brabantse Pijl in April, just before the Ardennes Classics, however, his eyes are really only on one race - the Tour de France.
"I don't want to rush anything. The preparation for a Grand Tour takes five, six months and I won't have that time, so I'm inclined to say 'no Giro'," admitted Evenepoel of returning to the Italian Grand Tour.
"I'm trying to focus on the Ardennes Classics, but to be honest, there's only one thing in my head. That's to be at the top in the Tour. The rest is not really important. Give myself time until the beginning of July and then do better than last year at the highest level for three weeks."
Having achieved so much at such a young age makes it more difficult for Evenepoel to top what he's managed the year prior, as a multiple world champion, double Olympic champion, Grand Tour winner and Monument winner. But the allure of the yellow jersey is keeping the fire burning.
"Every year, at my first breakfast on January 1st, I write down my goals," he said. "That’s a bit harder now because of the injury, but my general career goal is clear: one day I want to win the Tour. That’s the only thing I really want to tick off. Does that stress me out? No. It motivates me."
