'It's time to win one again' – Remco Evenepoel escapes the Mount Teide snow to chase first WorldTour stage race win in three years at Volta a Catalunya

Remco Evenepoel, now representing Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, has declared his ambition to secure his first WorldTour stage race victory in three years at the upcoming Volta a Catalunya. Having escaped the snow-covered training grounds of Mount Teide, Evenepoel explicitly stated his goal is to "stay as close to Vingegaard as possible in the general classification and win as many stages as possible," setting a clear target for the highly anticipated Spanish race.

This declaration arrives as Evenepoel seeks to reassert his dominance in multi-day events, a category where his last WorldTour stage race win dates back to the 2021 Tour of Poland. While he's claimed Grand Tour and Monument victories since, the consistent stage race success of rivals like Jonas Vingegaard has created a narrative of Evenepoel needing to prove his GC mettle against the very best. The Volta a Catalunya, with its challenging terrain, offers an immediate litmus test against a top-tier field.

Evenepoel’s confidence is admirable, but declaring war on Vingegaard while aiming for a 'first win in three years' suggests a certain selective memory. The peloton, and indeed the fans, will be watching closely to see if ambition translates into consistent performance.