Well if there's nothing new to discuss around here, then let's bring up the old controversy over whether Remco should do the Tour this year or delay his debut until 2024.
In my opinion, Velo News journo Andrew Hood's analysis is highly persuasive and makes a good case for Evenepoel riding the Tour this year. In a nutshell Remco should go to the Tour after the Giro, whether he wins the maglia rosa or not, in the rainbow jersey and "swing for the fence" to make history. The reasons being that if he does the Tour this year after the Giro he will have less pressure upon his shoulders to take the yellow jersey, than going to the Tour in 2024 as the major goal of the season. Even more so should he win the up-coming Giro. In a sense, Remco could hence justifiably use a hypothetical ride at the next Tour following the Giro as experience, to then tackle the Grand Bouclé for victory in 2024.
As Hood argues, Evenepoel's future lies at the Tour. So putting off a confrontation with Pogacar and Vingegaard till 2024 makes no difference to the grand scheme. One can counter, of course, by pointing out that in 2024 at 25 Remco will be stronger and more "ready," but it's likely going to be the same for the other two; whereas delaying his Tour debut another year shall come with even more pressure on the occasion, to the point of perhaps even boiling over. By contrast if he goes to France this year, he can legitimately say he rides just to learn, to experience the hugeness of the event, without pressure for a high GC result. Sure, the Belgian press would still heap upon him tons of pressure with tremendous expectations anyway, but at least he can get a first taste of that without having internal pressure from the team as well. Whereas he will face external media and internal team pressure at once, without any previous experience of the race, should he go to the Tour for the first time in 2024.
I think there is much to be said for Hood's assessment of the issues and problematics, also because, as he suggests, a debut at 25 is still young, but you never know if an another phenomenon will arrive to stun the sport. It's thus better to start sooner than later in France during July.
I consequently can't see how Remco doing the Tour after the Giro this year can hurt him. To the contrary, I can't see how it would not benefit his future at the race; bearing in mind what a certain Roglic has recently said: "what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger." On the other hand, it's also possible that going to the Tour this year after the Giro, would result in a similarly botched effort as going to the Giro in 2021, before he was ready. I suppose, however, that the Remco after this Giro will be very different than the one at the start of the 2021 Giro. In conclusion, I Guess it should depend on how Evenepoel feels, both physically and mentally, whether or not he adds the Tour to his program. Although if he feels good and care free why not?
The Velo News article:
https://www.velonews.com/news/road/remco-evenepoel-and-the-giro-ditalia-the-right-call-or-a-missed-opportunity/
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