Evenepoel triumphs with historic Olympic double despite late puncture

PARIS – Belgium’s Remco Evenepoel clinched Olympic road race gold on Saturday, overcoming a dramatic late puncture to secure his second gold of the Games. This victory, following his earlier time trial win, cements Evenepoel’s place among cycling’s all-time greats and marks a remarkable comeback from his near-fatal crash four years ago in Italy.

Evenepoel is the first man to achieve the Olympic double, a feat only Dutch cyclist Leontien Zijlaard has accomplished on the women’s side at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

“So proud to win this and to be the first ever to take the double. It’s history,” the 24-year-old Belgian exclaimed.

Cheered on by massive roadside crowds, Evenepoel led comfortably when disaster struck. A puncture halted him just 4 km from the finish, prompting frantic signals to his team for a replacement bike. The team car arrived swiftly, and an anxious Evenepoel, unaware of his lead, sprinted the final stretch to victory, finishing in front of the Eiffel Tower.

“I really feel sick from the effort, especially with that stressful moment with about 4 km to go,” Evenepoel said. “The (team) car wasn’t ready for that moment… but in the end I had enough time. What a day,” he added.

(Source: AFP)