Remco Evenepoel couldn't believe what he was seeing. The Belgian and his Quick-Step Alphavinil team recently encountered a rocky track while attempting to climb Alto Antenas del Maigmo Tibi.

Rather than risk the rim, they found another smoother route to the summit. The road book and local riders confirmed that the finale was indeed on that steep 3km section of dirt road.

"I thought the GPS was wrong because I didn't think we'd be on a gravel road with those big rocks strewn all over it, but apparently it wasn't a mistake. The mountain bike stages are going to be fun." Evenpoel told reporters in a videoconference Tuesday.

"I could see the top of the mountain, but not from the right side. Still, I'm sure the group will explode on stage 3, and there will be a nice time gap between the GC riders."

Last May, Evenpoel's Giro d'Italia challenge began to unravel on the dirt roads around Montalcino, but Friday's finale has more in common with the Campo Felice summit finish a few days earlier.

Whatever the condition of the surface under his wheels, Evenpoel is looking forward to being one of the strongest riders on the crucial stage of the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana.

"I think it will be different in the last part of the race, especially when it gets to the steep 3km," Evenpoel said. 'There's always something special in Spain, a spectacular finish.'

For Evenpoel, the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana will be his first race in 2022. The race was cancelled because of the Omicron wave of the coronavirus epidemic, which caused the cancellation of the Vuelta a San Juan, which was to be his season debut.

Two years ago, Evenepoel had great success, winning the overall at both San Juan and the Volta ao Algarve, but he downplayed the prospect of achieving something similar in Valencia, pointing to the lack of an individual time trial and the depth of the field. This week's competitors in Valencia include Alejandro Valverde, Enric Mas (Movistar), Alexandre Vlasov (Bora-Hansgrohe), and Tao Geoghegan Hart (Ineos Grenadiers).

Still, Evenpoel knows what is expected of him every time he puts on a number, and in his short and dramatic career to this point, he has rarely competed simply to make the number count. This is going to be a very special GC race, with no time trial and no long climbs. Of course, I will not be upset if I finish the race without winning. Of course, I'm not going to panic if I finish this race without winning. I want to concentrate on Algarve and on getting back into the rhythm of the race this week

"It's going to be a hard race. The first day is already uphill, which is good for opening the lungs and heart. The weather will be fine and I'm looking forward to it. I've seen some of the races in Mallorca and some of the riders are already at a high level.

"I think Movistar is really strong. On my part, I want to do the best I possibly can.

Evenepoel turned 22 just last week, but this is already his fourth professional season. In his debut season, he won the Clasica San Sebastián and the European time trial title, and he has been in great form in his second year, taking stage wins in four out of four races in 2020.

Twelve months ago at this time, Evenpoel was still in the midst of a long rehabilitation from injury and had just returned from the Giro in May. Naturally, after the midpoint of the race, Evenpoel began to fade, but he would go on to show remarkable strength, winning seven European and World Championships in an all-action performance.

"This time last year, I wasn't on the bike yet, I was just walking and swimming. 'Winning will always be important for the team and for me personally, but this week I'm just going to do what I do best. If it leads to a win, so much the better. I just have to focus on the next race and the next opportunity."

Evenpoel's 2022 season will include a debut in the Ardennes Classics and an overall classification challenge at the Vuelta a España, and he admitted that the race in Spain was a useful exercise with his later goals in mind.

"The more races I have in Spain, the better prepared I am," he said. I've already won two races in Spain, in San Sebastian and Burgos."

With 22 wins in his professional career, Evenpoel seemed to arrive at the WorldTour already blessed with the physique and confidence of an experienced rider, but admitted this winter he still feels he needs to mature.

"I let my youth come out a little bit, especially in tense situations, with moves and words that weren't necessary," Evenpoel said on Tuesday.

"I worked on that over the winter and tried to calm down. It helps during the race, too, when there are moments of stress. It will help me manage the situation a little easier than before."