It is the advent of a future immense champion at home.
Prodigy of Belgian cycling, Remco Evenepoel almost easily won the first monument of his career on Sunday in Liège-Bastogne-Liège, the Doyenne of the classics, starting alone 30 kilometers from the finish.
The only leader of his team after the abandonment of Julian Alaphilippe, caught in a massive fall and transported conscious to the hospital, the 22-year-old Belgian dropped all his competitors of the day in a powerful attack.
What's next?
An almost solitary time trial of 30 terminals, with the support for a few kilometers of a survivor of the morning breakaway Bruno Armirail, unable to keep up with the pace of the Belgian on the last climb of Roche aux Faucons.
🚀 🇧🇪@EvenepoelRemco attacks in the Côte de la Redoute!
🚀 🇧🇪@EvenepoelRemco attacks in the Côte de la Redoute!
#LBL pic.twitter.com/yyXrzrDn5B
— Liège-Bastogne-Liège (@LiegeBastogneL) April 24, 2022
Landed in professional cycling three years ago with the nicknames of "little cannibal", "new Merckx" and the title of junior world champion, Evenepoel had quickly confirmed by winning some nice races such as the European championship against -la-montre or the Saint-Sebastien Classic from his first professional year.
He was even the favorite to win his first monument in Lombardy, a year later, before a terrible fall put an end to his ascent.
Victim then of a broken pelvis, Evenepoel took a long time to regain his level.
Two years later, it is finally the case.
And that's only the beginning.