Remco Evenepoel celebrated two moments on Sunday, one in Madrid where the 22-year-old was crowned the Vuelta a España champion, and another in Brussels where Belgian fans watched the podium on a giant screen and heard their national anthem. Yet his season-defining achievement stands as a single victory, prompting questions about whether this fresh pattern signals a broader shift in cycling destiny. Critics pointed to Saturday’s rough mountain stages through Jaén and Granada, followed by a difficult slide in Málaga, as telling signs of the challenges the team faced during the race.
The Vuelta mirrored a season of surprises and trends that will likely persist. A recurring narrative has emerged: no rider can reliably repeat a top-five result across the Giro d’Italia, the Tour de France, and the Vuelta. The focus now seems to be on trying different approaches and backing a single standout performance each year. Evenepoel has spent the last eight weeks in Spain, adapting to the heat and sharpening himself as the new benchmark for three-week races in his country. The Vuelta has not crowned a Belgian champion since Freddy Maertens in 1977, with Eddy Merckx appearing as a historical reference point for the current phenomenon. Merckx had a long-standing link to one-day classics since age 19, and Evenepoel’s career has carried echoes of those early, explosive talents. A dramatic accident in August 2020 nearly derailed him when he fell from a bridge in Lombardy; he fought back to race in the 2021 Giro and returned to competition after months on the sidelines.
That backstory has sparked doubts about a rider’s suitability for longer, three-week campaigns. Quick-Step fought through adversity with a Belgian squad that shared Evenepoel’s national identity but lacked the depth of a full roster behind a sustained title push. The questions now focus on what the future holds for Evenepoel: can he contend with Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogačar in future Tours? Were the Andalusian mountains the real cause of the fall, or did other factors play a role in the late stages?
Strong in the time trial
Each race unfolds differently, and Evenepoel’s edge lies in his time-trial power. When it comes to the clock, he often shows his best form, a trait that could help him chase yellow in Paris one day. However, he would need to deepen his classics experience and maintain the Giro as a key target to balance a future grand tour program. The plan outlined by the rider points toward a return to one-day races next season, with ambitions in Liège and San Sebastián and then a deeper engagement with the Giro; the Vuelta seems likely to take a different path for now.
“Right now I am not thinking about the Tour next year. I will focus on the one-day races and still prepare for the Giro,” the rider noted, a sentiment that has stirred a mix of sympathy and debate among Flemish fans—some rallying behind him, others leaning toward Wout van Aert, who remains a fan favorite. The Merckx comparison persists, underscoring the pressure and expectations that come with European cycling’s storied legacy.
For Enric Mas, this Vuelta marked a remarkable personal rebirth after a season heavy with expectations. The Movistar rider felt the pressure of repeatedly leading the team through multiple laps. The squad faced a broader crisis, including relegation threats that could jeopardize a presence at next year’s grand tours, such as the Tour. Yet Mas’s strong performance in the Vuelta provided relief, and he acknowledged the podium as timely momentum for a squad working to regain confidence amid competition and scrutiny. “This podium comes at a difficult time for my team because of the points,” he explained.
Ayuso and Rodriguez
Alongside Evenepoel and Mas, Juan Ayuso finished third and became the youngest rider in years to secure a significant Grand Tour podium position. At 19 years and several months, Ayuso joined a lineage of precocious talents who have left a mark on the sport. The young Spaniards, Ayuso and Carlos Rodríguez, are already seen as future anchors for calendar decisions in three-week races, while both shared a humbling perspective on their achievements. “It’s incredible to be on the podium because I came to the Vuelta just to show a few flashes of quality,” Ayuso admitted.
The Vuelta concluded amid the complications caused by the covid era earlier in the race, when 25 riders were pulled from the peloton. The event also sparked reflection on how Primož Roglič would have fared if he had not crashed in Seville and had the chance to continue.
Valverde’s party
Alexander Valverde bid farewell to the Vuelta, a race he had conquered in 2009. The Murcian rider, a former world champion in 2018 and a regular presence on the Tour and Giro podiums, plans to retire from professional cycling in the coming months, although he intends to finish the season with the October classics, including Lombardy, where his final race awaits. Vincenzo Nibali, a triple winner in the grand tours, was also honored along with the Vuelta participants during a celebratory moment in Las Rozas. Evenepoel himself helped escort these veterans from the podium, a symbolic gesture reflecting the sport’s passing of the baton.
Valverde, at 42, exited with a storybook arc from Murcia as he crossed the Madrid circuit, receiving a standing ovation from fans. He will step into a role with Movistar next year that could involve public relations or other team duties, as his racing days shift toward a different chapter while the sport looks ahead to new champions and fresh strategies.