Remco Evenepoel needed only one race day to get his maiden victory of the season, and he did it in style, at the end of the hilly 166.7km stage between Les Alqueries and Torralba del Pinar at Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana.
You can rewatch STAGE 1 of 2022 Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana HERE
Comprising four classified climbs, the up-and-down route promised gaps between the general classification contenders and delivered them by the end of the day.
Attacks began coming left and right on the final 4.6km ascent, but Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl’s Belgian patiently waited for the steepest part to make his move, and once he got out of the saddle and opened a small gap on his opponents, he was never again seen until the finish.
As he crested the climb, Evenepoel had ten seconds in hand, an advantage he kept expanding on the downhill all the way to the line, where the 22-year-old celebrated his victory, one which put him at the top of the overall standings.
“It’s a nice way to start the season, and I’m happy I could repay the team for their hard work today”, said the young Belgian.
“They were great, did an incredible job and deserve a big thank you! This win is good for the confidence and for the atmosphere as we begin our week here in Valenciana. We knew the finish was hard and the difference could be made only in the final kilometer, so I attacked there and never looked back. Getting the yellow jersey is a bonus, one that rounds out this perfect day”, a smiling Evenepoel said after nabbing the Wolfpack’s first win of the year and becoming the first Belgian in five years to lead Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana.
#VueltaCV | ??♂️??? La VICTORIA de Remco Evenepoel ??@EvenepoelRemco (@qst_alphavinyl) en la 1a etapa de la Vuelta a la Comunidad Valenciana ?♂️?????
? @teledeporte pic.twitter.com/xF3WRVMSW4
— Mundo Ciclístico (@mundociclistico) February 2, 2022
