Evenepoel: "It's the best year I can wish for"

Remco Evenepoel (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl): "I don’t know what’s going through my head and my body right now. It’s amazing. All the critics and the bad comments I received after last year, I think I answered with my pedals. I’ve been working so hard to come here in the best shape possible. To now win this Vuelta is just amazing. It’s actually the first Grand Tour I start healthy. I’m really happy to be the first guy to win a Grand Tour for Patrick [Lefevere] as a CEO and for Belgium, for my country, for my teammates, for my parents, for my fiancee… I’ve been away from home so many days, so many weeks, so many months. And it’s all thanks to them as well. I was really stressed this morning. I didn’t sleep too much last night. You know what’s coming to you and it was a super tough stage. I’m just super happy that I’ve won La Vuelta. Today I responded with the legs. I didn’t think about winning the stage, I just wanted to win the general classification. I only had to follow, to control and believe in my power. In the end the race was super hard but we did really well. Yes, it’s the most beautiful day of my life. It’s an amazing year. Winning a Monument [Liège-Bastogne-Liège], winning San Sebastian again, winning two stages and the GC, and then getting married in the winter… I think it’s the best year I can imagine and wish for."