Greg Van Avermaat praised fellow Belgian Remco Evenpoel, saying, "It's impossible to put into words how great he is."

Evenpoel has had a great season, winning his first Monumental at Liège-Bastogne-Liège, his first Grand Tour win at the Vuelta a España, and his first elite title in the road race world championships.

"It's talent. It's a talent that only comes along once in a while," Van Avermaat said in a special conversation with former Belgian pros Josée de Kower and Dirk de Wolff for the Nieuwsblad (open in new tab) newspaper.

Evenpoel's victory in the Vuelta marked his breakthrough as a Grand Tour rider, ending the Belgian's 44-year drought, and triggering hopes of future glory in the Tour de France.

But Van Avermaert, winner of Paris-Roubaix and the Olympic road race, was impressed by Evenpoel's one-day performance.

The 22-year-old went on to win solo victories in Liège, San Sebastián Clásica, and the World Championships, where he finished more than two minutes ahead of the rest of the field.

"He has performed a lot of songs, but especially the World Championships was amazing. Wow, to run in the 2-minute range and away from the pack. Really, I can't wrap my head around it," Van Avermaat said.

"I've won some races, but they were sprint finishes, and I tried to do everything right beforehand. Very few people win with that."

Van Avermaert noted Evenpour's penchant for long-distance solo runs and his ability to easily drop his rivals on any terrain.

In St. Sebastian, he made the difference on the climbs, but at the World Championships, he cleared on the flats after several attempts. Initially, only Alexey Lutsenko followed, but the Kazakhstani rider could barely make the turn until he was overtaken on the final climb of Mount Pleasant.

"When you're on the road with Evenpoel, you don't recover in the wheels," Van Avermaert said, recalling the two hours he suffered behind him in the 2019 Hammer Series when Evenpoel was just a 19-year-old neo-pro.

"Riding on the flat and taking someone off the wheel, who can do that?" Juan Avermart asked.

"He hasn't suffered more than anyone else. I've met many riders, including super-talents, but Lemko is exceptional. To be honest, I thought that was no longer possible. The race has become more controlled, more of a team game.

"In fact, it's impossible to put into words how good he is."