Remco Evenepoel's much-anticipated duel with Jonas Vingegaard in the Volta a Catalunya is currently poised on a knife-edge due to major transport difficulties caused by a snowstorm.
The Belgian was on the point of completing an altitude training camp in the Canaries on Mount Teide, when the mountains were struck by an unseasonal spell of very poor weather.
According to an Instagram post by his wife Oumi – also present at the camp – the snowfalls are so severe that roads up the volcano have been blocked, sparking fears that they may not be able to make it to the local airport on Saturday.
Were that to happen, the Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe racer would not be able to fly out to Barcelona in time for the start of the Volta a Catalunya.
"BTW we're stuck up on Teide for the 2nd day because of the snow... no one can go up or down," Oumi posted.
"We're supposed to fly to Barcelona tomorrow (for the race) but not sure we'll make it. Does anyone know how we can get to the airport."
"We are monitoring the situation closely together with our team in Tenerife," Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe team sources told Cyclingnews on Friday morning. "At this stage, there are no further updates to share."
The hotel where Evenepoel is based stands at 2,150 metres above sea level, and the weather is currently forecast to remain cold on the upper slopes of Teide until at least Sunday. There are maximum temperatures of just 4ºC today, and 3º on Saturday and continuing precipitation throughout.
Should he take part, Remco's participation in the Volta is set to see him race against Vingegaard in three major days in the Pyrenees in what is a key test of his current climbing condition.
The Volta itself is often affected by poor weather, too, with stages often being cancelled and altered in the high mountains. But first, in any case, Evenepoel needs to be able to make it there.
