After a roller-coaster season in 2021, it is not surprising that Remco Evenpoel is hoping for an uneventful 2022 at Quick Step Alfavinir.

It is nearly impossible to recount the past 12 months of Evenpoel's career in a few lines. His return from a serious injury sustained in a crash at Il Lombardia and starting the Giro d'Italia as his first race back are but a small part, albeit an important part, of the story.

The first 10 days of the Giro seemed to be Egan Bernal's biggest challenge, but the race ended in dramatic fashion early on.

Comeback victories in Belgium, Italy, and Denmark in the summer, as well as a bronze medal in the elite men's time trial at the World Championships.

A political row within the Belgian team at the World Championships road race, which caused a media frenzy, was also an unforgettable part of his season.

While normalcy is Evenpoel's key wish for 2022, the 21-year-old also made it clear that his personal ambitions for the months ahead are unbridled.

"First of all, I hope to have a normal season, not a very slow start like last year," Evenpoel told reporters at the team's media day in Spain.

"And the main goal is to go for the Ardennes Classic and the Vuelta a España.

Evenpoel said he hopes to gain stage race experience in his only Grand Tour appearance in 2022. He has a strong track record in Spain, with victories at Clasica San Sebastián in 2019 and the Vuelta a Burgos in 2020 being two of the highlights of his career so far.

The Belgian is focused on the long time trial in the middle of the race at the Vuelta a España in Alicante. Evenpoel's track record in time trials shows that for the 21-year-old, there are few secrets in the race against the clock.

"I'm really looking forward to the Vuelta because it's honestly my favorite race of the season. The weather is always good, the routes are always special and there are always amazing stages.

"Plus," he added, referring to the three-day opening leg in the Netherlands, "it starts near my house.

As for how he sees his year, it was noted that Evenpoel quickly returned to his mantra of "a normal season first."

"To perform at a higher level in the races. I want to take steps towards the true GC riders and try to compete with them for wins," he replied when asked about his specific goals. And I want to win the time trial. And to win the time trial again.

Evenpoel said he should have no regrets about how he raced in 2021. [Evenepoel, who was ninth in the Olympic TT and 49th in the road race, insisted. 'That was a surprise, because I had been training well. But maybe I should have done it later to be in good shape for the Olympics.

"The second week of the Giro was not my best week, but I was fighting for the pink jersey, so I finished the Giro with good thoughts and good feelings. Maybe that's the only sad thing because I didn't get the pink jersey for one day. It was a dream."

He concluded, however, that eight wins in one year, even if not at the World Tour level, was no small accolade considering he had five podium finishes in six championships.

"I would change everything (a podium finish) for the sake of one Giro leader's jersey. But that's life, and you're one step away from being on the podium."

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