REMCO EVENEPOEL | Tour de France, Olympics, Road Worlds, Training Tips [Bonus: WIN a Signed Jersey]

Join the Belgian cycling superstar as he shares insights from his off-season trip to California, discussing his training regimen, strategic race selections leading up to the Tour de France and the Olympics, as well as his aspirations to secure gold medals in both Paris and the road Worlds in Zürich.

We delve into specific Tour stages, particularly the critical mountain and gravel stages, analyzing their potential impact on the overall race dynamics.

The discussion also touches on the differing training approaches for targeting a Monument compared to preparing for a grand tour.

Additionally, Remco discusses his R.EV Brussels Cycling Academy project aimed at empowering young talents and unveil future topics for his YouTube channel.
He shares insights into the WolfPack camaraderie within the team and much more.

It’s a fully packed and insightful episode with Remco Evenepoel of @soudalquickstepteam

(Recorded on December 13, 2023)

TOPICS DISCUSSED
00:00 Introduction
02:16 Off-Season, USA
06:59 Favorite Off-Season Ride
09:38 Recap of 2023 Season
12:40 Early Season Races
17:25 Mikel Landa
19:52 2024 Olympics
21:36 Tour de France
26:19 Cobbles and Gravel in Grand Tours
29:07 Road World Championships
30:52 YouTube Channel
34:45 Training and Recovery
42:32 Giro d’Italia
44:51 R.EV Brussels Cycling Academy
45:50 WolfPack
51:07 Giveaway!
51:38 Ending

 – LINKS –
⁠Remco Evenepoel⁠ | https://www.instagram.com/remco.ev/
⁠R.EV1703⁠ | https://www.instagram.com/r.ev1703/
⁠R.EV Brussels Cycling Academy⁠ | https://www.remcoev.com/pages/academy

CASTELLI PODCAST
Spotify

Apple Podcast
https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/castelli-cycling-podcast/id1669906821

CREDITS
Footage | https://www.instagram.com/sam_has_a_camera
Photos | Soudal Quick-Step, GettySport,

#remcoevenepoel #soudalquickstep #worldtour #cycling #podcast #cyclingpodcast

With having both of the titles in the pocket already I think it uh it would be a nice goal to try and go for the double I think I have two courses that I can really aim to go for for a win quality-wise it can probably be even a a

Bigger season than it was last year because it’s only world tours and championships I mean you should not put a real Strate stage in in a grand tour because I mean it’s quite it’s a different thing Hello everyone and welcome to the castelli podcast a show where we dive into the world of castelli and professional cycling exploring the stories behind the writers who Inspire us on today’s episode we are celebrating the one-year anniversary of the castill show featuring our very first guest when

Starting the show so it’s an honor to have him back back on the show better stronger wiser and with more impressive victories to his already outstanding palmares let’s welcome Belgian cycling Superstar Remco evap pool of sudal quickstep Welcome Remco thank you nice introduction thank you so rco we started

The 2023 season and the castelli podcast by featuring you as our very first guest we discussed your early years playing soccer mountain biking at Lake G with your family your first castelli memory of the Malad Z your incredible journey into World Tour cycling learning the ropes setbacks theod Talia 2023 goals

And more so if anyone missed that episode make sure to add it to your Q list and make sure to hang on to the end since we’ll be giving away a Belgian national jersey signed by rco himself so stay tuned for more details on how you

Can enter for chance to win at the end of the show so now let’s buckle up and jump right in rco we’re thrilled to have you back back on the show and it’s fantastic to reunite here with the team and calpe especially in December and the

First meet up after the off season how are you doing what have you been up to after wrapping up a long 2023 season at krono this na uh yeah everything has been good uh took uh quite a long break longer than uh than I usually do uh I

Think I’ve let the bike on the side for like 5 weeks which is a very long period but I feel like uh it did me well uh mentally and physically I think like you mentioned it was a a long and a hard season tough season with a lot of ups

And downs also uh rainbow season so uh was a special year um but I think I uh I was happy when it uh ended and I had some time to think about other stuff think about the future think about the upcoming season yeah because I remember

A year ago when you and I we met up you had already Recon was that four stage J stages this time five five J stages yeah correct so no it’s good to see you have had some time to think about the family also take some time off you know detest

Yourself I also saw on your straw and also know this from from the team that you also had a trip to California Morgan Hills where you guys also apart from looking on your stve and seeing your always fast pacing runs you also went to the wind tunnel there at officialized Y

And you guys also tested a few TT suits yeah correct so um I actually it was a bit of a a long uh thinking and doubting where to go on holiday uh but then when we got the final call for the the winteral testing uh me and I mean my wife and I

Decided to to have a trip to La uh we did 10 days uh in there we did a Santa Monica Beach then we went to uh Las Vegas for two days and then we we went we drove up to San Francisco and then uh went for 3 Days to work at Specialized

And uh yeah we did some interesting uh testing um as I was uh wearing the new prototype suit in the cor donations um I was curious to see what the the result would be the numbers would be like yeah yeah exactly and it turned out to be a

Very good suit so uh I was happy to to see that so uh because for that that suit it’s just more for a listener so they’re aware about this because some people might have asked but everyone knows the question why you’re you’re riding with why you have short sleeves

Versus long sleeves TT suits we made the the shoulders and the sleeves with a complete new construction also something that we have studied we worked on on the track and especially looking forward also for the Olympics and stuff so uh yeah and it showed out to be what I

Could read through some of the tests from the team like the faster suits that you guys tested over there in in the Wind Tunnel yeah yeah exactly I think the the new shoulder construction really made a big Improvement um I remember with the previous shoulder construction there was quite some wrinkles on let’s

Say the back of the the shoulder uh the shoulder plate actually and now with a new construction it was uh was gone so I think that made a big Improvement so uh looking forward for some uh next testing that is uh waiting yeah because we actually meeting up I think mid January

Now yeah in Milan at the polytechnical wind tunnel y to do some more testing yeah it’s uh it’s Olympic season so uh that’s also why we’re uh looking a lot into to the suits and the material uh of course I have to be on my top game as

Well but I think if the if the material is is up there then it’s a bit more easy to uh for yourself to motivate it is it is exactly exactly when you got back here to calp which I know is your home base and you pull out your bike for the

First time only if was said A week ago or something you did your first ride no three around three weeks yeah yeah so uh came home from the US around the 10th of octob um November and then uh I was supposed to restart back then

Already uh then we had the team days in turnout at the sudal headquarters right uh team meeting let’s say and then I was supposed to restart after that but then the weather was uh pretty bad in Belgium a lot of raining and uh and wind and

Within the back of my head the idea that I was coming here a few days later then I decided to uh to take off for a few more days and then uh restart it here so also much better instead of riding around up in Belgium in in rainy

Conditions and cold weather yeah yeah I mean if it if it’s for a week I would say yes I’m going to get through but if if I have to restart there but then only for two three days then coming here then uh you just have to focus a little bit

More on the nutrition and the food but then it’s not a big problem yeah no you’re right what’s your favorite offseason or early season training ride around here the first day is of course the most flat one because uh it gets hilly pretty quickly here uh but then

Like for now there’s there’s like a three 4 hour laap I really like to do it goes here over the the small glim that goes to benisa and then just over garat or uh or going to guadalest is a little bit higher I think that’s a very nice

Loop yeah uh you can actually in in both ways it’s really nice uh you always start or come back over the sea Road over the coastline so it’s uh it’s a nice lap to to do there’s a good one here also for listeners coming to to kalp alante you know to get these

Insiders of where the pros are training and what you know where they do some of the structure training on I mean yeah it also depends of the weather if it’s like around 20° here you can go up there but if it goes to like let’s say 15 10 it

Might get really chilly on top uh because you’re riding in a direction of 1,000 meter of altitude so it’s uh can be around let’s say like 5° up there let’s say the the difference of temperature is quite big because you can start like short short but then up there

If you’re in short short it’s uh it’s yeah pretty cold so I I remember my first time coming to calpi with the team that must have been at 21 and I went out there after I finished all my work here I went out there for a ride got up the

Catas and it was super windy there up on the top yeah it gets crazy there and just the temperatures just dropped like you said like 16 18 down the seaside in December but up there was probably I don’t know 10 degrees or something and then with this heavy wind and while I

Was just trying to steer my sl7 down the mountain there then I have this guy pulling up to me who I worked with in the past with the team Sky Old Poles and he was like dude what are you doing here and he’s like well get on my wheel and

I’ll take you down to the coast yeah it’s it’s actually a crazy place because you have the the sea and then the mountain is like let’s say just getting through it but then the wind always gets around so it’s it’s a really there’s a lot of turbulance on top of

That clim yeah so w okay rco enough of offseason we toed on 2023 season I mean we know you said it early it’s been a bit of ups and downs but I would say there has been some downs but a lot of option know especially with victories a UA tour Catalonia Defending Your

Victory two states of the jro three at the welta Swiss classica San Sebastian the world time trial title national road race champion and the list goes on and on if you have to describe the 2023 season with is ups and down how would you look at it uh well I mean I’m

Definitely super happy with the season I did I think uh it’s just a shame that I uh couldn’t finish the jro uh in an honest way let’s say uh cuz I think for sure I was in maybe the best shape I’ve ever had uh at the start of the J was

Also resulting in the first stage already uh um but I think yeah it was it was actually a great season um then in the end about the vaa I think my biggest goal was the time TR World Championship time tral so I knew my preps were not

Going to be ideally for the the vaa uh which also turned out but I think um I think I cannot be more than happy uh if he get sick from a race that’s just how cycling goes I think everything happens for a reason to probably uh come go back

There with a with a stronger head and with like let’s say Revenge feelings or uh maybe for for next season going into the tour it can help me uh with let’s say the preparations and some different mindset maybe so um but I think I I should be happy 13 victories of which 11

World tours to uh titles I think it’s uh let’s say pure quality wise it can probably be even a a bigger season than it was last year because it’s only world tours and championships meanwhile last year I also won in uh in algar and tour of Norway uh

So I think last year I took five victories which were not World Tour so I think uh about quality spoken about quality it’s uh it’s a it has been a very good season and I think I could have won a bit more if I would have been

Racing sometimes a bit more smarter or with a bit more patience like for example Catalonia uh and also in in the Swiss was a bit of a strange race coming back from the covid uh sickness so um yeah I think I should be proud about the season

I did amazing season I think there were there are a lot of people out there would like to just trade just a little bit of what you achieved this this season for a whole career of results for so no you know congrats as always thank

You then looking ahead I mean we are in December now and January just around the corner you got a long buildup for for the 2024 season as you just said you just started riding a few weeks ago you already announced a few days ago that you’ll be defending your lbl title and

World’s title and that July will be the peak period of the year for you targeting a top five and a stage win at the tour to have the triple you know stage victories in all grand Tours well the tour you against some of the other gods of grand T Rising sounds like they

Will all be be coming to the show as well as adding Olympic gold medal to your collection of world European and Belgian titles without leaking too much information cuz I don’t want to get into trouble with the team can you tell us how your preparation for the 2024 season

Will look like and what race will most likely be your season debut for now I actually have quite some time it’s uh that’s also why I only started three weeks ago um as everybody knows main goal will be uh the month of July so we

We want to start the season with a fresh head and a fresh body and I think that’s uh why I took off for such a long period of time uh uh and then for now I still have about two months to get into my first uh race so I will restart in

Portugal figueras figueras okay figueras yes and then uh I will restart I mean I will rewrite algar for a third time um hoping to get a good result there I always perform well in uh the southern countries so um it’s a very nice race and I think uh especially with the races

That I will do after it’s a good race to start to have some uh raise hardness in the legs and um it’s also why we we decided to not go to UA tour because it can get a bit easy there let’s say uh for eight days or let’s the most of the

Days so in Al gar it’s every day up and down pushing a nice time tral to uh to start with so um I think it’s it’s going to be a very good race to restart no it’s definitely a good race to to restart the season but that also means

Coming in Defending Your the on Le title you’re coming into Li without without any altitude training or maybe you know less race miles in your legs do you think it will be more difficult to win the lbl again or how do you see it well

I think the the races that I will do after algar will be from very high quality all Races where uh the GC Riders always want to be on their top game so uh yeah I will I will go over to to aarin and then uh Basque so it’s uh two

Races that will fit perfectly into the buildup to the Ard Dan especially Basque is something that is uh that is very good for uh for preparing the the Ard Dan and then I will do the combination flesh and Le so I will I will do flesh

Is that first time for you second time first time uh it’s when I won first time uh then I was uh let’s say the the main guide of of Julian during the day I always had to keep him out of the wind it was actually a very nice task to to

Have as you know uh you know that you have a rider in your wheel that can win for a I don’t know how many times already so uh I think it’s a very nice uh let’s say spring campaign with not too many race days but I think it makes

Sense because after Le I will have a small break and then I will go for a almost 4 we altitude period uh that’s why we decided to not go in altitude in Spring period to just keep that off and then have a big effect of after uh after

The classics to to get into the tour I mean we all know that four or five weeks is kind of the window for when you go in altitude training then the whole Grand Tour team that will be supporting you will be will be coming or how will it be

Looking like because if some of them will be raising the jro it depends I’m I’m not sure if the team will allow the Riders to do jro tour combination as they didn’t with me so uh I think uh I think they will make two different programs with guys that will focus on on

Spring and and Jiro and then have a bit of an easier second part of the season and guys that they will do a bit of the opposite uh with a let’s say a small packed spring classic campaign and then uh going over for a heavy summer so um I

Think for for the tour team it will probably be almost everybody together uh on that long training camp and then depending on on what the Riders preferences to go doof or swiss uh or another race uh then they will uh will divide it like that but I think it’s

Good that we can already have a small test in the start off of the yeah in one of the first uh one we races with with the guys um yeah we’ll see so then then you will have the the spring classic Riders like the big domestic Riders like

Ascen lumy those guys you just finish off a really hard spring classic season maybe then around flesh and the age they will take it one or two weeks easy and then they will join you on the altitude training camp but what about Landa he’s

Like a new guy to the team and we know he’s he’s a GC guy he finished three times Podium or third at the jro he won a couple of stages he brought fi to victory in 2016 and 17 actually 17 F’s last two Victory he of course will be at

Your side of the tour how do you see him as your super climbing domestique uh Mikel is is a different writer I mean he’s a bit a bit older than me he has more experience and of course I’m I’m actually really looking forward to to learn from him because like you said he

Won with a four time to the France champion and himself he also did some amazing results in in the GCS of The Grand Tour so I think it’s it’s the perfect guy to to have with us with a young team to to learn from and to uh

Yeah to see how he does the things definitely going to be interesting I remember Mikel from the days at Team Sky amazing person and really great yeah yeah person also on the table and in the team meeting we know each other a bit from from the altitudes in tid when we

When we cross paths to have a small chat and it’s actually uh very nice when when when you speak English that well as a as a Spanish person so it’s uh it’s a good guy and uh I think there’s already a a good friendship building up so it’s uh

Very important to to start an important year like this with a such a special ride yeah Special lot of experience and one to still today with his because it’s his birthday today 34 years yeah oh I didn’t know I saw him on the table and I

Didn’t even say it so when I see him I should I should do it but it’s nice and we have a cake tonight exactly exactly how you you guys that no but uh 34 years of age and think about so growing up in the best country uh I mean even today he’s still

One of the best or part of the best the group of the very exclusive World Tour top climber so yeah no I think actually I’m going to meet with him later today okay and well if I don’t see him tell him happy I will if I don’t see him

Anymore but also like if uh I was in the welta now and then the second and third week I could see a bit from distance and it was actually amazing to to know him coming into the team seeing him up there battle till the last day with the with

The yeah the vard and and then roic and and Kus uh okay I think from fors in GC there were no real threats anymore but still him trying to to give that push always to to do better and better and try to move up in NGC it was actually really

Nice to see and I was uh yeah actually very proud of him to see that on on that age knowing also that he that he that he leaves the team it was actually nice to see that he still gives his very maximum till the last day so one of the the

Reasons for targeting then the tour this year I assume that that’s also due to the Olympics as a buildup to the Olympics because we have the individual time trial at the Olympics starting uh only a week after the sh I think it’s Saturday Saturday so it’s uh

What is it six days six days yes and then you got the road race the following weekend after and it’s Sunday yeah no I think I think the men’s road race is on a Saturday and the women’s Sunday this time I don’t know for what reason but you’re right the individual time trial

Is on a Saturday so list yeah six days after the finish of the of the tour yeah it’s a bit comparable with the the WTA Australia campaign so um if I go out of the tour in yeah in a good way with Good Feeling with a good

Shape I think it can be a bit of the same scenario as it was in in Australia with a bit of a I mean not a bad TT but just a bit that less freshness let’s say uh but then yeah the week after if uh if

I will recover well and uh some good rests I might maybe find the best leg of of the season so like it was in in Australia so um yeah it’s it’s interesting but I think uh it’s it’s it’s risky but if you look at how it

Ended up in in Tokyo top 10 was all to the France riders in the road race and then the time Tri were all fresh guys that were up there with a Primos winning Duma and St yeah so three guys that were not in the tour yeah it’s it’s going to

Be interesting luckily the travel is not that long it’s just from KN to so it’s it’s not super long but uh yeah it’s it’s definitely going to be a big month of July it’s going to be a big month of July yeah and also with the tour starting in Florence Italy for the

First couple of stages but then already I mean the race could already explode I think on stage four over the C Gali in the Alps and continue all the way to the finish in KN the time trial yeah it’s going to be uh actually already the

First day is pretty tough it’s uh like that medium Mountain Stage in in the area of toino so it’s it’s going to be a bit uh it’s going to be interesting and important first two stages already with the the jro de Emilia finish correct lap yes so I think yeah almost all the

Riders know that lap but I think yeah it’s going to be interesting from stage four is we’re going I mean the GC guys going to be going to be oblig obligated to be on their top already so if uh if you have a bad day there you can already

Be over actually so it’s uh it’s interesting but it’s also always a bit tricky to put uh I mean tricky not but it’s always interesting to see such a hard stage after 4 days I mean it can or explode or just nothing can happen at all because it’s still 20

Days to go so yeah because then we have the third week then we have all the big mountains coming in you know hard yeah solid quite steep as well yeah quite steep what what are you what are the key key stages to you that you looked at

Already on the map just uh well the definitely the the the first ones um as we will meet up in in Milan I will uh also go and check the first two stages uh we were thinking about the fourth stage but probably in January the

GB will not even be open it will be full of snow so we might uh place that in the month of June yeah after you might be able to ride up to the tunnel when I lived in France I live in eny an hour

And a half drive from from the G and I Road up there sometimes also in May but you will get to the there’s a tunnel you can go through but you cannot go over the pass because it’s you know they would never clean that for of snow but

You would definitely I think you’ll be able to ride up to the tunnel okay I think they usually clean that uh but I can check into but some of my friends still living in in in Savo would be good so yeah uh yeah so fourth stage um then

I think there’s a a pretty important weekend of the first week with Stage seven eight and nine nine was the gravel stage no uh the gravel stage uh then seven is the the longer time tral uh and stage eight is maybe not that important

But I mean it’s it’s an area up and down all day open open field so it might uh it might get a bit uh let’s say a bit of a war over there uh so that’s it and then yes second week is also already pretty pretty important I think we have a few

Easy stages like completely flat ones um and then again yeah the weekend is always a spectacle in the tour um TV time yeah exactly exactly I think there’s a 14 or 15 which is around Clair Monera uh it’s bit Le Baston Le course actually correct

I’m not sure if it’s 14 or 15 but I think it’s like 20 what is it 220k or a bit less and uh yeah like 4,400 M of climbing so it’s all day up up and down and then last week everybody knows there’s only one flat stage in the last

Week and all the others are uh important so and nice to end off with a with a town TR which is a bit of a climbing Town TR but it’s uh it’s going to be an interesting one I think uh it can still change the and as we also known that that

Climbing time trial mean part of the course is also what will be known for parin so yeah it’s B the same uh is the same final I think the same final yeah coming exact last 20 kilm from from from P so we’ll have a good Recon in month of

March and hopefully with well it’s usually nice weather when you when you get to the coast in cost in at at parin so what do you think about now when the grand Tours have started to include Cobble and gravel stages should that be part of grand Tours to you or just keep

Them as one day races I mean it’s it’s a really specific thing uh um yeah I mean for us as fans in front of the television is it’s amazing to see but I can imagine you guys who are racing three weeks have to think about everything when you hit the cobbles or

The gravel everything as we know from start bian or we know from the Cobble Classics everything’s just becomes chaotic and every you can lose everything in no time also with def facts and everything yeah that’s exactly this what I what I think I mean you you cannot win your grand tour up there

Because you can definitely lose it’s uh I I mean it’s not really up to me to say it has to be part of or not are you are you fan of it it depends it depends I mean I didn’t see the course yet of of the gravel stage I will definitely go

Check it out um but I mean you should not put a a real Strate stage in in a grand tour because I mean it’s quiet it’s a different thing you have RS specifically going to Strate because they’re good at it and they want to win

It when in a grand tour you you might have guys that don’t really or they are not really fan of it and they get a bit scared or whatever so it’s uh it’s a complet completely different Bunch so I mean it can be up there but it should

Not affect the race you know if if you put a few sectors in it it’s not a big problem but for example the Tour stage is is quite a lot it’s from I think if I’m not wrong it’s from let’s say kilometer 50 till 200 on and off on and

Off only 10 km of normal roads in between and then you have a a longer section of of gravel and you even have a section in uh from like 10K to go if you have a flat tire there yeah it’s done you lose quite some time because the

Bunch will be completely exploded so um yeah it’s it’s I’m I’m actually fan of the fact that they put it in but it’s more the effects that it can have I’m not a fan of you know I I understand yeah because so so you plan your whole

Season for this and with just one flat or a crash in front of you your tour Dreams Are Over or or you win is like uh like anybody had it in 17 no 14 14 I think it was 14 15 yeah I think that year when when when

He won it on that Cobble stage like some guys had bad luck and they were but then also at that stage you also had guys like f s who’s also you know very skilled when it comes you know technical skill coming from mountain biking helping him guiding over there need and

You got some of the best Couer Riders here you know joining your yeah I mean if if guys like Casper uh and Eve would come with me to the tour I think for that stage they are the perfect guys to to yeah to guide me because Casper did a

Thir in Strate uh and Eve is just a one of the best riders for the flat so uh I think I have two big machines with me then if if they would join two of the best domestics on for the Rolling Hills and flats and this UNC terrain rco time

Is running out but I just wanted to ask you also about the worlds uh now it’s in shich this year you got both the individual time trial title to defend and you both got the road race with 4,400 M of climbing I think it is yeah

It’s uh I looked it up actually uh it’s it’s on V viewer on our V viewer and it’s uh it’s I mean it’s climbing but it’s more like going to the directions of the Ard Dan so it’s a bit harder than the Ard Dan but it’s not like a real Mountain Stage

So so uh but I think yeah with having both of the titles in the pocket already I think it uh it would be a nice goal to try and go for the double I think I have two courses that I can really aim to go

For for a win uh of course I know that’s a really ideal situation to win both of them it’s not going to be that easy but of course uh Dre can try to go for it so uh I think it it it’s it’s a nice goal

To put on the paper try to go for the both jerseys uh CU I’m one of the only Riders ever to have won both disciplines so I not try to go for both in in one year that would be uh would be amazing and I was really close in in Australia

So uh why not try again this year yeah we’ll see I we looking forward for it man all the best of luck for this season thank you very much it’s uh it’s always a pleasure to watch you on television and also meeting you of course also in

Person you’re such a nice humble and relaxed person and what is great about your YouTube channel I think you’re showing a different side of yourself because you know when you’re at races and and people of armchair fans or sing fans out there watching on television it’s difficult for them sometime to

Understand the people behind the writers you know uh when they just watch them on television and see some of all the stuff that people are writing on social and and everything yeah correct so I think it’s a really nice transparent way to show the world who is Remco Eva Paul I

Think that’s probably also one of the reasons why you started the YouTube channel every start is uh is difficult but I think uh we’re trying to find a way now what works the best or we we’re trying to find out about that if you look for example at the first video was

Actually a very easy video to make on the track in in Gent so uh not a big working Place let’s say like for example the the coron Nations video or the lombardia Recon video that was a very emotional one yeah yeah it was also pretty long one so it’s for YouTube it’s

A bit unusual to make things like this but I think in in that video we just had that much content that was let’s say good enough to be to be showed that uh we thought we should yeah just make a long one of it we find out now what

Works what doesn’t so for next year we’ll probably uh get the videos a bit smaller again and um bit more easygoing and and a bit more easy to understand for for people um because yeah I mean uh it also costs some money to make to make

Videos so uh I was a bit surprised with that so uh I think if we can kind of bring down the uh the amount of money that goes into the videos um it should be a bit more easy to uh to make also it takes quite some time often so uh

Especially with the the year that will come it would be great to uh to dimin a bit of time that goes into the the filming can you already tell us more about when like a small spoiler when will the next episode come out and the next episode will

Be well honestly uh I’ve been making uh I mean we have been making a full VTA video uh so I had a GoPro with me for 3 weeks uh filming myself in the room then the guys came over a few uh days but when we when they finished the video it

Turned out to be like 1 hour and 45 minutes so I think that’s more thing that you can then make as a documentary I mean it’s it’s not really made for YouTube that so we actually skipped that plan so uh for the moment there is no

Video uh being planned but that’s why a few days ago we made an Instagram story with the the question what people would like to see and there’s a lot of FTP tests coming out so I think that will probably a project uh and then also they ask for a lot of collaborations with

Other famous people uh so yeah we’ll we are kind of working on that already so uh there’s a few plans but uh like I said we will not try to make four or five videos in in three months so uh we will try to to to

Aim for six videos a year but good quality videos and videos that uh that will work I mean I’m definitely looking forward to it and it’s cool and and I know I know how how it is with video filming because you you create like hours almost days of of content b-roll

Content as well and you edit everything down to hardly anything but you know that that’s cvy I mean you also had what was it Amazon following you guys um at The Grand Tour so you know how it is and now you did the same thing also for your

For your own channel so that’s awesome still at your young age you are a superhero I mean you are a big celebrties look at your palaris is is unbelievable I think a lot of people are asking themselves wondering how many hours is rco training a week of course

It depends what time of the week and what is your bread and butter for training or what do you usually expect to see on a training calendar preparing for a grand tour or the on of the AG for a ram V po can you give us without

Telling too much a little bit about your hours on the road and and your specific training you do as a preparation for Grand Tour uh well if I if I focus more on on on a Le for example which is a bit more explosive than than a grand tour of

Course um I’ll focus a bit more on on those let’s say V2 Max efforts so bit of shorter intervals but with higher intensity um often training in 3-day blocks uh before that sometimes two days when it get re when it gets really tough uh to not go too much into the fatigue

And then uh I’ll always try to have a if I do a three- we altitude block for example I will always try to have a a very long ride so plus seven plus seven hours um also not to not going to eight or nine because then

You would really kill the body but uh I mean uh for example Y is a six 6 and a half hour race if you really want to have the feeling of having that amount of of time on the bike you should go for a 7 hour I think that’s Al always a bit

My strategy at least one 7 hour ride to to have the feeling and and being comfortable with sitting that that long on a saddle um and then yeah for for a grand tour it will always start easy to build up and then you will bring in some more hours and

Then towards the end you will go for more intensity uh and again like I said maybe two three really long rides uh with a lot of climbing meters um but just always try to to have that good uh let’s say combination of quality training with longer training but also a

Good rest day in between to be fresh to have the training really getting yeah let it it does it work uh in the body so it’s uh it’s always finding that combination of hard work with also having the good amount of of relax because after training well the second

Most important thing or maybe the more most important thing is the recovery yep yeah definitely I think nowadays it’s almost getting more important um or it’s yeah let’s say training is really important but I mean you can always pick up on a training but if you don’t recover over well you might

Never recover from it anymore so it’s like yeah let’s say that if you do a good training first of all you need your good recovery strategy with the shake food rest uh even even the massages is important um yeah sometimes it might get more important than it is than training

Is so especially the last weeks before that race I think it’s really important to more and more about recovery now it’s a bit different because trainings are not the hardest and it’s also not the longest ones so you can still perform if you recover let’s say 5% less than you need to

Before that big goal so it’s uh it’s a really important thing no it is a very important thing it’s a very important thing now are there any tips training wise apart from recovery nutrition you know eating well make sure you recover get your you know recovery shake and and everything any other tips

You could give to all the cycling fans out there who wants to maybe get into racing uh or just be serious amateur cyclist out there just my the Sunday Warriors and when they get into the training some specific tips here you can give to them uh well if if you don’t need to

Ride fast you don’t have to ride fast I mean it’s it’s also for us especially now when you’re building up and you want to let’s say let grow the fat threshold uh Zone then you really need to ride a lot under that zone so I feel like for

Me it will probably be around 300 watts let’s say the fat Ral if I it means that I should ride around let’s say 250 260 on on easy Pace on the climbs so and that helps you know uh like this you will also enjoy the riding fast later on

Uh and then yeah just enjoy it you know I mean it’s uh if you have if you have if you feel like on a day I don’t don’t want to go you shouldn’t go and Len to your body and try to do something else that’s also why I combine the running a

Bit with with riding um because it makes me feel like I’m doing something else and not only riding the bike because I used to do like let’s say sober trainings on the bike but now I try to do them running so it makes the combination of of I mean it it gives the

Hunger to a bike more and it’s good it works also different way the muscles and also helps with the bone density yeah and I needed that actually because uh I was playing football everybody knows but then when I got into cycling I didn’t run for quite a long period of time and

My bone density was really getting a bit worse so uh that’s why I needed to pick up pretty uh I mean not intensively but I needed to pick up the running uh and that’s what I did and I think ready um and it also just grows shape a bit

Faster I mean it helps to to to become in better in shape bit faster so uh pretty nice way to to just keep the body moving and it also doesn’t take that much time if you do let’s say 40 minutes of running you have the feeling

Like you did two hours of of running a bike correct yeah no also got into running well already now many years ago after stopping uh cycling and racing and then started working at Caselli and you travel the world it’s so much easier sometimes also to bring a pair of

Runners with you exactly and just in the suitcase shorts and t-shirts and and even the same road that you’ve done at thousand of times on your road bike you know looks different when you run it afterwards different pace so yeah do you sometimes also hit the trails or you

Main you just stay on the TAC um well when I will go back to Belgium for Christmas I might uh hit the trails a bit more on the mountain bike cuz yeah I mean if you would go out on the road now in Belgium you will get as

Dirty as you would go in the trails so it’s uh I think then it’s it’s also fun to do something else discover some roads that you never do so uh uh um in periods where the training hours are a bit less important I will hit the trails with the

Mountain bike a bit and then you also I mean you’re always focused and concentrated and plus you also have the less windshield exactly you’ll always be warm also you need to push always and it’s uh always like I said you need to be focused because yeah down is also

Important in on the trails so it’s uh you always need to be focused and your body will never get a get cold and then you also working on your Technique yep correct so your multisport at L we know that H but also during the season do you still hit the gym do strength

Training uh depends I think uh probably spring I mean till till y I will probably do it but then after that building up to the tour it will be a bit less I think then it will be more about flexibility and and a bit cor stability but I think I will not run

Anymore uh from when I will start a season so probably from algar Von I will not run anymore because I think then the the risk of getting an injury is a bit High higher yeah uh as I will do high intensity riding um so yeah I think uh

From the moment that I start my racing season uh I will probably diminu all the extra sports but that’s why it’s nice to have a a bit of combination in in the winter no it is so knowing that you and Landa won’t be riding the jro we completely skipped discussing the first

Grand Tour of the season what do you think about the course this year which is less hilly and might suit you better than the tour it was an idea because I saw the the parkour and it was actually a very nice parkour with a some beautiful time trials um I mean it’s

It’s I think the the parkour is a bit comparable with the VTA I won uh in 22 not too hard start in the first part it’s also almost not technical at all well then 20% less elevation compared to the tour I think yeah yeah it’s it’s

It’s really that’s that’s why I said it it was like I mean it’s an easy jro parkours but it’s it’s never going to be easy because in the jro you have the the weather which I don’t think it’s a bad thing that they kind of make the course

A bit easier because you also know the weather can I mean the 20% that goes less into the elevation can come back with the weather so it’s uh it’s not a bad thing that they did no no it’s uh it’s definitely going to be interesting

Like you you said uh with the jir is unpredictable you know when it comes to the r itself the third week and then you on top you got just the weather I mean we have seen snow rain wind cold I mean everything everything can happen at the

J then luckily you guys you got some good F weather equipment to keep you guys protected but you know it’s not everything you still need to no no but still it helps a lot I already uh I think stage six where I crashed twice last year I mean I think it was where

Where Kev was flying over the Finish Line yeah that stage uh it was really cold it was like maximum 8° and pissing rain all day and was just super happy with the warm and thick clothes to uh it also protected me a lot for the for the

Crush actually no bruises no scarves so oh that’s good to here no that’s also part of I mean some of some of this some of this is part of also of the development we do internally just like with the ker inserts that we used a bit

In the past but I don’t think that many riders on this team here uh are using it so ramco has been fantastic you know thanks for your availability and it’s always a joy to talk to you two last questions is at okay can you tell me more about the Brussels cycling Academy

Yes I would like it’s amazing project I really and we really want to support this this this project as well also in the future but if you could tell a listeners who might not be aware about the bruss cycling Academy yep so uh for now actually we we work in a few phas

Phes so now it’s actually the buildup phase which we’re uh working on with some uh uh I don’t know the word in English actually I think it’s a bit of communities uh children that are staying at at at uh city houses uh for because they they don’t have the yeah their

Parents don’t have the the credits to to give their kids a good background and good support uh we’re trying to support them and the kids mainly come from City of bruss now uh so we’re trying to learn them about riding a bike about the bike itself and just trying to develop them

Into uh an athlete and not just a cyclist um and then yeah there will be phase two where they hopefully can join a team and race and we will try to make a team on our own uh and you know then it just goes on and on trying to go into

Uh higher category and then uh yeah one day hopefully around 2030 where uh Brussels might host the World Championships uh we would like I mean is a big dream and uh and goal to have one girl and one boy That’ll be amazing at the start of one

Of the categories uh so we’re thinking about Junior probably for under 23 um so yeah it’s it’s actually uh it’s still in in buildup phase and there are many other phases that will will come or many other situations let’s say um so yeah it’s uh it’s an interesting project and

Uh uh we have the help from uh from specialized for the moment that that give us some some bikes uh for the kids which is really helpful because uh like this they already have like a high quality bike um so for now they’re riding on on mountain bikes um but I

Think definitely next phases we will go more narrow tires uh a different handlebar so uh it’s really step by step because the kids they uh they really didn’t know anything about the bike but you also see that it’s a good thing because they have no fear for example if

They go up a ramp and then go down if you’re used to riding a bike you would start to be hesitating a bit sometimes because you know the risks but they just go over that’s Tilton I mean if you like when you go downhill skiing it looks

Like when they take a tomble it looks like they’re made out of rubber because it just maybe cry for a minute or two but then they get up and you know just yeah they do it again it’s like they forget so it’s actually how many kids

Are involved right now uh for now we have two groups of around 15 kids almost 20 even from different ages so you have age Zone one which is uh around 10 and then you have the second age which is around 13 so it’s uh yeah it’s a good

Thing but there’s a lot of information online on websites and stuff so we’re trying to to build it up and make it bigger and bigger and hopefully for now it’s in it’s in Belgium um but we hope to to go go to the major or the capital

Cities in the next of Europe as well which will be pretty difficult but we will see no it’s good it’s amazing project I’m really excited as I said you definitely also here at castill we would like to be part of this but where can people if you can just mention their

Social handle and the website where people can find more information about this project it’s actually uh pretty easy it’s a REV Brussels Academy tting Academy and then you will will find a lot of websites and uh information on on on Google so it’s also on my my

Instagram we uh launched a small reel yesterday so uh they can just check it out and and find all the information online perfect so make sure guys you do that and make sure to hit follow also because this is uh this is only the beginning y so hopefully last question

Remco what does the word Wolfpack means to you uh it means a lot of things you know it’s uh bunch of friends that uh wants to win races but then it’s also a bunch of friends that wants to support each other uh then also you feel that with

The with the staff with the team members it’s just something that uh that lives in the team you know um and yeah I think uh also next year if I speak for myself and for the group that I’m I’m working with we’re going into new projects into new

Uh let’s say Goals so I think we can use all the help and support from every single team M to help us and help me with that so yeah it’s just something that you need it’s it’s like uh it’s actually the family that you find when

You’re not at home so it’s a very important aspect in in our lives it is yeah that’s it actually no but it’s right and I see you also you know use that hashtag also often um the world pack and I mean it’s also with from from the other writers it’s something that is

That is closer to the heart the the bound between teammates and good friends that will help each other out no matter what will happen so okay rco thank you so much it’s been amazing to have you on again um and uh yeah I’ll see you later on today hopefully for a birthday cake

Thing later on for Manda let’s see birthday exactly okay rco thank you so much no problem and all the best of luck for the upcoming season thank you very much and that’s a wrap on the first castillia podcast of 2024 featuring Remco aaple the next episode dropping on

January 23rd will feature mik Landa he will share some climbing training tips as one of the best climbers in professional cycling and discuss his 2024 race program Landa will serve as a climbing domestique for Remco at the tour and take on the GC role at De laela

Espia in August as we all know Landa checks almost every box in that regard having participated in in 20 grand Tours during his career he has won four stages and secured eight top 10 results on GC so it’s going to be a thrilling and insightful episode and as announced at

The beginning of this episode we are giving away one Belgium champion jersey signed by ramco himself to enter the giveaway head over to YouTube if you’re not already here then follow Castell cycling and leave your favorite rco evento wow moment in the comments of this video and you have entered the

Contest entries will close on Sunday February 18th and the winner will be randomly picked so all the best of luck to every one of you and if you enjoyed this episode please make sure to subscribe on sportify or apple podcast give us a five star rating or review to

Help us reach more cyclist through the algorithm and also if you would like to suggest a future podcast topic just shoot us a line at podcast at castelly cycling.com or connect with us on social media we hope you enjoy this episode and we’ll see you in two

Weeks with the second episode of 2024 until then take care and ride Safe