The great racer of yesteryear, Eddy Merckx, has weighed in on the debate over whether Lemko Evenpoel should compete in the Giro d'Italia or the Tour de France in 2023.

It seems that Evenpoel's decision on whether he will head to Italy or France next summer has already been made, but the Quick-Step Alphavinil racer will not announce it until next January.

The route for next May's Giro d'Italia includes a 70-km time trial, which is Evempoel's strongest point, far exceeding the 26-km time trial in 2022; the route for the 2023 Tour de France will be announced on Thursday, October 27, with a time It is rumored that a time trial will be held in the Alps.

In any case, there is no doubt that for Eddy Merckx, Evenepoel will roll down the start slope of the first stage TT in Fossa Cesia, Abruzzo, next May 6.

"He has made great progress in recent months: Liège-Bastogne-Liège, the Vuelta, the World Championships. He's made a lot of progress in the last few months: Liège-Bastogne-Liège, the Vuelta, the World Championships," Merckx recently told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"In addition, racing in Italy is always special. Nice place, tifosi, food ......."

As for whether Evenpoel's participation in the Giro would be a fresh and brilliant success, Merckx insisted that "it depends on the strength of the other riders." However, Evenpoel has proven to be a champion in recent months.

"He is evolving. He won the Vuelta, he won the Grand Tour, he won the attacks on the steep slopes."

Merckx, however, warned that the Giro would be a harder challenge than the 2022 Vuelta, which often peaks over 2,000 meters above sea level. Only once in the Vuelta, on the climb to the Sierra Nevada on stage 15, did a rider finish over or above the summit.

"The weather can change, and there is the possibility of snow and cold," warns Merckx.

"But Evenpoel will have to test himself.

"That's the only way he will know his limits. He also learns from his defeats."

"He has to learn from his defeats.

Before racing the Tour, Merckx had the mixed fortune of competing in the Giro d'Italia three times, in 1967, 1968, and 1969. In this Giro, Merckx won his first Grand Tour race, and eventually won a total of five races on the Corsa Rosa.