Banged-up Remco Evenepoel will not give away Vuelta a España pink jersey without cost

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TARRAGONA, Spain (Velo) — All the pieces nearly went to script for Remco Evenepoel in Tuesday’s fourth stage on the Vuelta a España.

No floods, no protesters, and no tacks on the highway. The one crashes he needed to fear about got here late within the high-speed run from Andorra to Spain’s glittering Mediterranean coast.

For the primary stage since this Vuelta began, Evenepoel wasn’t steamed on the end line.

‘The beginning was very calm, as a result of it was precisely the identical we did yesterday, nevertheless it was taking place,” mentioned Evenepoel, a day after successful stage 3 and snatching the pink chief’s jersey.

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There have been a couple of nasty crashes in Tuesday’s closing kilometers, however nothing in comparison with Evenepoel’s dramatic and controversial spill after successful Monday excessive in Andorra when he smashed into an area police officer within the end line melee.

“Total it was a fairly relaxed stage, besides within the closing after we needed to be careful for crashes,” Evenepoel mentioned.  “For my accidents, all the pieces was wonderful. I don’t really feel something within the physique. And the physician did a very good job yesterday night, and all the pieces goes nicely.”

Crimson jersey gained’t be ‘gifted’ any time quickly

Evenepoel raced with white medical tape over his forehead in a reminder of Monday’s high-speed collision.

The Vuelta was fortunate that Evenepoel continues to be within the race, and race director Javier Guillén later apologized to the Belgian star for the end line drama Monday.

On Tuesday’s end, extra police and staffing have been current to raised management the crowds.

With one other transition stage on faucet earlier than Thursday’s subsequent uphill finale, Evenepoel mentioned he gained’t be “gifting” the chief’s jersey to anybody simply but.

With the sprinter groups eager for his or her possibilities, Soudal Fast-Step isn’t having to do all of the work, however Evenepoel mentioned he will likely be cautious about sharing the wealth.

“We celebrated the victory and the jersey, and we knew immediately it was nearly unimaginable to present the jersey away. Most likely tomorrow the identical story,” Evenepoel mentioned.

GC captains will usually let a non-threatening rider slip into the result in take strain off their workforce.

In Might, Evenepoel deployed this tactic by “letting” Andreas Leknessund (Workforce DSM-Firmenich) trip into pink for a couple of days.

There have been no main shakeups Tuesday because the sprinter groups arrange a mass gallop. Many count on the identical Wednesday.

“Thursday is the primary day the place it may very well be potential, however we don’t wish to give it away to somebody who we predict can win this Vuelta,” he mentioned. “It’s one thing we will see day-to-day. When the second is there, we will take our likelihood like we did within the Giro. We’ll see.”

With one grand tour victory underneath his belt, he’s already discovered a couple of issues. One of the vital? No items.