FANS have been left stunned after learning that Paris 2024 gold medallist Remco Evenepoel used to be a handy footballer.
Prior to his days as a cycling supremo, Evenepoel was on the books at European giants Anderlecht and PSV Eindhoven.
During his teenage years, the Belgian ace laced them up alongside future Premier League stars Cody Gakpo and Albert Sambi Lokonga.
Evenepoel, 24, showed plenty of football promise, even captaining his country’s Under-16s.
He attracted attention as a lad with his incredible athleticism and fitness levels.
But football’s loss would soon be cycling’s gain, with Evenepoel quitting the beautiful game as a teenager to focus on his bike.
The decision has since proven to be a shrewd one.
Evenepoel triumphed in the 2022 Vuelta a Espana, and came third in this year’s Tour de France.
He has also starred in this summer’s Olympics, winning gold in the men’s individual time trial.
Fans were left shocked to learn of Evenepoel’s former football prowess, with some using mouth wide open emojis on social media.
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Describing what he was like on the football pitch, the man himself said: “My style of play was a bit similar to how I ride a bike.
“I had a big engine and tried to cover every blade of grass.”
His old pal Lokonga, meanwhile, added to The Athletic: “He was one year below me but sometimes the 1999 and 2000 players trained together, and so he trained with me.
“It’s crazy what he’s done. I know that when he was young, when we had to run up and down, he was already one of the best so that maybe helped with the distances you ride when you are a cyclist.”
