Evenepoel has weathered attacks on climbs, two time trials and a crash over the course of the Vuelta a Espana, and now one serious mountain stage is all that stands between him and the traditional flat stage finish into Madrid.
The 22-year-old will hope to stand atop the podium with the red jersey there to signify the first Grand Tour victory of his short career, but ahead stands the final mountain test over 181 kilometres from Moralzarzal to Puerto de Navacerrada.
“I think it will be a lot of work and you can expect anything: the best, the worst,” said Evenepoel.
“It might go in any direction, but let’s hope everything goes in our direction and into our dream. It’s just one day of focusing, and then we’ll see. But for sure the race is still not won yet.”
Evenepoel’s most dangerous rival, following the abandon of Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma), is Enric Mas (Movistar), with the Spanish rider already having finished second overall in the 2018 and 2021 Vueltas.
“I just need to follow one man,” said Evenepoel when talking about the tactics of the upcoming stage, nodding in affirmation when asked if he meant Mas. “Yes, I don’t [like to] race like that, but I will be for certain tomorrow.
“It’s me, Enric at 2’07 and then 5 minutes to the next. If a guy goes and he has four minutes, it’s not up to me to chase because I think that Enric wants to stay in second position at least. It would be quite a nightmare if we do lose the race.”
The climbs of the final mountain stage aren’t the most fearsome of the whole race, meaning that any attacks will need to be from afar, with the penultimate ascent of the Puerto de la Morcuera (9.2km at 6.8%) the toughest of the climbs on the agenda, with 38 kilometres and still the ascent of the Puerto de Cotos (10.5km at 5.6%) still to go.
If Evenepoel and QuickStep Alpha Vinyl can just limit his losses, the reality of his overall victory will be realized with just the straightforward final stage in Madrid to come.
“The team starts to dream, I start to dream and I think staying as strong as possible is the best we can do,” said Evenepoel. “If we start getting stressed, we’ll lose energy, so there’s no need to panic. We just need to believe in ourselves as we have done since day one of the race."
Watch Stage 20 LIVE on SBS tonight from 8:25pm (AEST) on SBS On Demand with television coverage on SBS beginning at 10:15pm.
