Image 1 of 2

Crossing a finish line in 108th place may not sound like a memorable result on paper, but for once the outcome barely mattered. For reigning World Champion 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Remc𒈔o Eveneไpoel (QuickStep-AlphaVinyl), his first race in his home nation Belgium with the rainbow jersey on his shoulders w𒁏as always going to be very special.

When Evenepoel rolled across the finish line at 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Binche-Chimay-Binche, more than six minutes down on winner 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Christophe Laporte (Jumbo-Visma), it was in the company of teammate and long-time mentor 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Iljo Keisse, as they celebrated their final race together.

Keisse will go on to race in one more road event in his career, the Memorial Rik van Steenbergen next Sunday, while Evenepoel is now pulling down the curtain on a year in which he has taken the 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Vuelta a España, 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Liège-Bastogne-Liège and the UCI 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Road World Championships.

After launching some spectacular attacks mid-race in Binche-Chimay-Binche, then dropping back in the last of the 16-kilometre local laps to cross the line with Keisse and with cheers from the local fans ringingꦓ in his ears, as Evenepoel told reporters afterwards, “I’m ending my season with a big smile on my face.”

“I knew my legs were not so great, so I wanted to make the most of what I had,” Evenepoel said wh꧒en asked about his spell of attacking mid-way through the race. “Then at one point Rik [van Slycke, sports director-Ed.] said over the radio that Iljo had been dropped, so I decided to go back and do the last lap with him.

“It’s ou𒈔r last race together so I wanted to finish it off welꦆl with him.”

Evenepoel paid fulsome tribute to Keisse, saying “he was the most important ride🅠r in my career, at the sta🅷rt of my career.

"I’ve learned a lot from him and it’s normal to want to come home with him today. After so much racing and so much time spent as my team hotel roommate, I couldn’t have ended the race in༒ a better way.”

Another veteran rider on the point of hanging up his wheels is former World Champion 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Philippe Gilbert (Lotto Soudal). The 2012 rainbow jersey holder made it into the decisive break of the day but eventually had to settle for sixth after Laporte and Rasmus Tiller (Uno-X Pro Cycling) managed to get away.

Gilbert will race in Paris-Bourges and Paris-Tours later this week, but Tuesday was thཧe Belgian♔’s last event on home soil.

“It was a tricky finale, the two of them went away and we got to within a few seconds, so it’s a bit of a pity. Bu🔯t I wanted to be up there and be in the mix, so that was fine,” Gilbert said afterwards.

“There were lots of fans on the sides of the road and even with Remco to cheer they ꦯgave me a nice ovation at the end, too, so many thanks to them.”

While Gilbert will pull down the curtain on his career in five days’ time, Evenepoel will now get ready for his upc🐈oming wedding on Saturday and then a well-earned rest.

“It’s been really nic𓆉e here with the pub🍌lic, I can end my season with a big smile on my face,” Evenepoel said. “So now I want to go on holiday, enjoy some downtime and then get ready for next season.”