"Pa', I stop playing football, I want to ride a bike".

On March 24, 2017, when the then 17-year-old Remco announced to his parents his decision to abandon the round ball to go nose to the handlebars, the shock was real.

It's because Patrick and Agna are convinced that their son will be a professional footballer.

They have already invested heavily in the future career of their son, who passed through the training centers of Anderlecht and PSV Eindhoven before joining FC Mechelen.

Since he was 15, Remco has been selected for the national team.

The way seems clear for this central midfielder, a tireless "box-to-box", very comfortable also at left-back.

A half-marathon the day after a match

"He was a ruthless defender, endowed with extraordinary endurance. He traveled up to 12 kilometers per game. Incredible at his age", explains to the newspaper Le Soir Joric Vandendriessche, his coach at the Belgian U15s.

"Remco also had a very strong personality. I immediately made him my captain," recalls Stéphane Stassin, U16 coach in Anderlecht, for AFP.

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At 15-16, Evenepoel smashes all speed and endurance records by displaying statistics close to professional players, says another trainer from the Brussels club.

An anecdote perfectly sums up the exceptional character of the young Remco.

In October 2016, while participating in the Brussels half-marathon, Stéphane Stassin was surprised to be overtaken by his young player.

"I saw a few Kenyans go through and then the young Remco who must have been seventh or eighth. We had played the day before and I had asked the players to rest. But apparently having a whole game in their legs before running a semi -marathon didn't bother him..."

At 16, Remco will finish thirteenth in one hour and 16 minutes, eight minutes behind the Kenyan winner.

But if the young player has extraordinary athletic abilities, he lacks technique and above all explosiveness.

Anderlecht will make him understand before letting him go to Mechelen.

Later, Remco will say to have felt "destroyed" by his heart club.

50 kilometers at 5 years old

Perhaps upset, the young Flemish will quickly reorient himself.

On March 24, 2017, after his day as a plasterer, his father Patrick Evenepoel noticed that his bike had disappeared from the garage.

And for good reason: Remco went "for a little walk".

117 km at an average speed of 34 km/h to the mythical Wall of Geraardsbergen, he tells his father, proudly showing the GPS of his bicycle.

It was on that day that he announced to his parents his desire to pursue a career in cycling.

The cycling world is no stranger to the teenager.

His father was professional for four seasons.

As soon as his choice is announced, Patrick prepares the son's bike for his first race.

Remco, under a one-day license, competes in his first event on April 2, 2017 in Flemish Brabant, the day his compatriot Philippe Gilbert wins the Tour of Flanders.

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Nothing and no one will stop Remco, who has become the one we nicknamed today "The Phenomenon", which does not surprise his maternal grandfather Eduard with whom the winner of the Vuelta maintains a close relationship.

"At five years old, he accompanied me to the Gordel (a cycling tour around Brussels). He wanted to ride the 50 kilometers. He barely stopped twice. Crazy! We had barely removed the two wheels sides of his bike for a month", said grandfather Eduard a few weeks ago to the daily La Dernier Heure.

One more proof that the winner of the Vuelta, 22, was made to shine with his nose to the handlebars rather than the ball at his feet.

© 2022 AFP