As cycling's international men's racing season shifts up a few notches Tuesday at the Vuelta a Burgos, up-and-coming Detunink Quickstep star Remco Evenpoel describes his return to racing here in Spain as "like the first day of school."

Evenepoel's natural talent is such that he would love to be named a contender in Burgos, and some fans may recall his stellar performances in this year's "early season" competitions, including consecutive wins at the Vuelta a San Juan in January and the Volta ao Algarve in February.

However, on the eve of the stage race in Burgos, Evenepoel refused to place himself in the category of favorite to win. While there were time trials in the Algarve and San Juan, both of which he won, there is no contra logi in Burgos this year.

Evenepoel downplayed his chances by looking purely at the rest of the year's goals. [Honestly, my big goals are in the second half of the season. Honestly, my big goals are in the second half of the season. If I have a chance to win here, of course I'm not going to let it slip away. But I won't stress about it," said the young Belgian star. Getting myself in shape is the most important part of being here."

Evenpoel said he had a fairly uneventful lockdown, staying "pretty well" without getting sick or having a bad flu.

For those who argue that Evenepoel has good options in Burgos, one positive sign from the previous season is that the summer months have not adversely affected Evenepoel's form. Last year he won the European Championships time trial and the Clasica San Sebastian in early August. At about the same time in 2018, he won the Auber-Timister-Stavelot stage race in the Belgian Ardennes.

But the 20-year-old was adamant that while he would not sit at the back of the pack in Burgos, he should not expect too much about his chances either. He said that his weight is better than before for the summit finishes of stages 3 and 5.

Asked specifically about his chances in Alto del Castillo's tough opening stage finish, Evenpoel said, "It's for guys like (George) Bennett (Jumbo Visma) and sprinters who can climb a bit. The most important thing for me is not to lose time."

Regarding his chances in Tuesday's Dečuninck Quickstep, he added: "I'll be there.

When the almost inevitable COVID-19 question came up, Evenpoel said he takes the usual precautions, including wearing a mask whenever appropriate. However, he did not want to be too dramatic, saying 'It's not that I'm not scared, it's just that we're here to race, so I don't think much of it here. I hope people respect that and don't get too close to us when taking pictures."

Evenpoel added. "Some people seem to forget really quickly and don't think about the rules anymore. If they want to continue racing, they should respect the rules; if they don't want to, they shouldn't.