Remco Evenepoel is targeting Saturday's Clasica San Sebastián, hoping to repeat his 2019 victory as he continues to advance his career at the Vuelta a España and on the long road to seeing if he can become a Grand Tour contender in the coming years.

The 22-year-old Quick-Step Alfa Vinyl rider stormed to victory in the 2019 Classica with a solo attack that instantly confirmed his prodigious talent as a junior; his fall at Il Lombardia in 2020 derailed his career, but this year's Liege-Bastogne-Liege victory confirmed that he is back to his best.

After a month of hard training, Saturday's Clasica San Sebastián will be an indication of whether Evenpoel is on track for his big 2022 goal, the Vuelta a España, which starts in three weeks. On Friday, he broke Strava's record on the final short Murzil climb that could make or break the Classica, clearly testing his form and race strategy.

"I came here to get a good result, to get a second win," Evenpoel said at the Zoom press conference on Friday afternoon.

"I have nothing but good memories of San Sebastian. When you win a race unexpectedly, it can only be a good memory."

Much has happened since Evenepoel's 2019 win and Il Lombardia's fallen injury. He has become one of the big names in the sport, especially in Belgium, with 32 wins already.

Three years after his professional debut, Evenpoel looks older, wiser, happier, and a better rider, even if questions remain about his long-term Grand Tour talent.

"I think I'm a more complete athlete now," he said. 'Back then I was 19 and my body was still developing. Back then I was only 19 and my body was still developing. I'm more explosive, I've raced more. I'm a more complete person. All of that helps me to achieve good results."

Evenpoel will face Tadej Pogachar (UAE Team Emirates) and a number of Tour de France riders in Clasica San Sebastián, but will be without Wout Van Alst and Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma). Evenpoel expects Pogachar to be in good shape and eager to race, and he named the Slovenian as his favorite to win and his biggest rival.

"He has won two Monument Classics and all the big races with Strade Bianche. I hope he recovers after the Tour and can race well," Evenpoel said.

"If he can relax and train without stress during the week after the Tour, he can be very strong.

Evenpoel has not raced since the Belgian national championships in late June, when he won the time trial title. He spent three weeks in the highlands of Livigno, riding the Passo dello Stelvio five times between hard workouts and the Mortirolo and other passes to work on his endurance and climbing.

He revealed that he weighs almost 2 kg less than he did in the spring, when he won Liège-Bastogne-Liège, but believes he has equal power and climbing ability, having prepared for the Vuelta a España in July.

After struggling in the 2021 Giro d'Italia and the recent Tour de Suisse, Evenpoel is understandably cautious about his ambitions for the Vuelta a España, but there it is.

"I have been training for some good results. It's hard to predict a specific GC result, but if I can leave the Vuelta with a stage win or two, it will be a good Vuelta," he suggested.

"The GC results are all a bonus. Especially the opening TT with the team and the TT on stage 10. But I know that things can go wrong every day."

Having spent most of July at altitude, Evenepoel had time to watch the Tour de France and Jumbo Visma beat Pogachar. Evenepoel watched the race with admiration and ambition.

"It was a fast, hard, difficult Tour. Jumbo looked easy, but I think it was difficult for everyone," Evenpoel said in his personal analysis of the Tour.

"Jumbo didn't wow me, but what they did with a full team was very impressive and beautiful to watch. They planned ahead for the Tour and showed it to the world. I want to pay tribute to them. It was beautiful to watch."

Evenepaul and Quick-Step-Alfavinir, who will be known as Sudar-Quick-Step next season, have not yet confirmed whether he will compete in the 2023 Tour de France. Perhaps depending on the outcome of the Vuelta a España, Evenpoel wants to test himself in a Grand Tour

. When asked if he would one day like to fight with Pogachar, Jumbo Visma, and Egan Bernal, Evenpoel replied.

"It is a special path to reach that level, especially the climbing level. I know that my time trial is at the highest level, but I often question myself trying to keep up with the best in climbing," he admitted. [I need to push my limits to get to the podium of the Grand Tours, which is my big dream.

"It's an adventure, like a highway with no end in sight. I'm really looking forward to starting the Vuelta. We shall see.