Remco Evenepoel Makes Olympic History
Belgian cyclist Remco Evenepoel became the first rider ever to sweep both the Olympic road race and time trial, achieving this feat over the weekend in Paris. Evenepoel's relentless attack on Montmartre's climbs and commanding time trial performance have made him a legend in the cycling world.
The 24-year-old's dominant week began in the men's time trial on July 27. On a rainy 32.4km course through Paris, Evenepoel finished in 36 minutes and 12 seconds, securing gold by a 15-second margin over Italy's Filippo Ganna, with Belgian teammate Wout van Aert taking bronze. Evenepoel's road race victory on August 3 came on the longest course in Olympic history, a grueling 273-kilometer route with 2,800 meters of climbing. The decisive moment came 38km from the finish, where he launched an attack on the Montmartre circuit that only France's Valentin Madouas could initially follow. He eventually dropped Madouas on the final ascent of the Butte Montmartre, a 1km climb with a 6.5% gradient. Despite suffering a puncture with just 3.8km remaining, Evenepoel's lead was so substantial that he had time
