Yet the leader of Quick-Step–Alpha Vinyl remains remarkably modest, having gauged his ambitions for the Tour of Spain. "Winning a stage and a place in the top ten would be very good," he says. “Anything more, I consider an unexpected bonus. I do expect to be much better than in last year's Giro. My weight back then was low in a forced way. My body only just accepted those sixty kilos. Now I weigh three more. That is still low, but it has no impact on my power. I will also be mentally stronger, partly because of this victory and the confidence it gives me. The team will also be ready. And yes, we have already mapped out a strategy. A good classification is part of that, but if it doesn't work out, then so be it. We will go without a sprinter, which means everything will be focused on the climbing stages. This Vuelta is part of a multi-year planning. Call it a first big test.”
A Basque colleague noted that the winner of the Clasica has always started the following year in the Tour de France except for one rider. That one exception was… Remco Evenepoel. “Ah, is that so”, grinned the winner. “If I can believe Patrick (Lefevere, red), then I will not ride the Tour next year either. Maybe we can change his mind (laughs).”