Evenepoel does not understand that Roglic rode with a helmet sock: ‘Would be prohibited as of April 1’ | Cycling

“We were not allowed to drive it,” Evenepoel told Belgian media. “BORA-hansgrohe has done it. That the UCI website states that it is prohibited from April 2? The UCI sent us an email that it would be prohibited from April 1. They don’t know it themselves, I don’t think. We were already told in Paris-Nice that it would be the last time.”

In the 2022 Tour de France, material sponsor Specialized introduced the helmet sock for the first time, which would increase aerodynamics. Soudal Quick-Step and BORA-hansgrohe, the teams of Evenepoel and Roglic, made grateful use of it.

But earlier this month, the international cycling union UCI decided that the helmet sock would be banned from the beginning of April. That led to anger at Evenepoel: “It’s laughable.” Nevertheless, he adhered to the rules and completed the opening time trial in the Basque Country without a helmet sock. Roglic did drive it and won the time trial, even though he took a wrong turn just before the finish.

“If they send this message to us, it will be prohibited for us from April 1,” Evenepoel said. “They put it differently on their website. We didn’t want to take the risk. This didn’t make the difference, but it’s strange: they do what they want.”

“It’s special. They’re starting to think of all kinds of things. This morning, two hours before the start, they said that the radios had to stay on the back again. I don’t know what to make of it.”

Evenepoel himself crashed after twenty seconds in the time trial and finished fourth, eleven seconds behind Roglic. Afterwards, the Belgian took matters into his own hands. “I just slipped. If you fall, it’s your own fault. It was my own fault,” he concluded.

The Tour of the Basque Country lasts until Saturday and continues on Tuesday with a hilly stage over 160 kilometers from Irun to Kanbo. Jonas Vingegaard, who finished fifth in the time trial, won the Spanish WorldTour race last year and Roglic in 2021.