> "I think there was more in it," Remco Evenepoel opened his reaction. "Both of my bike changes happened at the worst possible moments. I hit a hole just before Mount Kigali, which caused my saddle to sag. Because of that different position, my hamstrings really cramped up. After four hours of racing, you really feel that. So I really had to change bikes."
> "Afterwards, I felt that my backup bike wasn't quite the same. I started having problems with my lower back, and because of my injuries, I really had to change again. I couldn't stay on that bike for five kilometers."
> "I had to turn back twice, and that was too much. Without that misfortune, I would have been able to follow Pogacar. I felt good, but there really was no other option than to change."
> "I came for the double and I was close in the end. But that pursuit was over. I got closer, but not by much. I have to turn things around now. We rode a good race and got a lot out of it. Now it's time for some decompression with Oumi and the team, and starting tomorrow I'll turn things around for the European Championships."
Just bad luck again, he was clearly the best today