Lemko Evenpoel, wearing a COVID-19 facemask, interviewed Tour de France media at Palazzo Vecchio in the heart of Florence's Renaissance.

Lidl-Trek lost Tao Geoghegan Hart to COVID-19 after the Criterium du Dauphiné, and teammates Mads Pedersen and Giulio Ciccone also contracted the virus, but will compete in the Tour. Vismaris a Bike resumed wearing masks after Sepp Kuss contracted COVID-19 and was forced to miss the Tour.

Evenpoel will not risk it, but he is not sick.

"It's about being careful," he said from behind his red mask, sweating in the heat of the packed hall.

"I don't want the Tour to end like last year's Giro. I wanted to feel a little more at ease at the press conference. I'm going to be in contact with a lot of people for a few hours during the team presentation, so wearing the mask is just a precaution. I don't want to scare people into thinking I'm sick, and I'm fine, but I'm cautious."

Evenpoel, who has won the Vuelta a España and other major races, admitted that with less than 48 hours until the start of this year's Tour, he is beginning to understand the "grandeur" of the sport's biggest race.

"The first moment I really started to feel the importance of the Tour was when I walked into this room.

"I've never seen so many people at a press conference. The team presentation will be big as well. But I'm not stressed at the moment, I'm pretty relaxed."

The 24-year-old Belgian recently compared UAE team Emirates to Real Madrid in a soccer analogy, and now he described the Sourdal Quickstep team as losers.

"We don't have big stars like them, but we also have mental strength and a lot of experience.

"Yves Lampert is competing in his fifth Tour and Mikel Landa is competing in his 200th Tour. We have a lot of experience."

Evenpoel set a modest but important goal for his Tour debut.

"A stage win and a move to Nice would be a success and would improve me as a GC rider.

"I want to be a better rider and get better results compared to the top riders. But I'll be competing in GC for about three weeks instead of two days, but I'm prepared for that."

Even if Ivenpoel endures a bad day, he will not let up like he did in last year's Vuelta. He will continue to suffer and fight.

"We are here to do well in the GC. The preparation was different from last year's Vuelta and it didn't feel the same. We will certainly take a different approach here to avoid a repeat of that day. But hopefully we won't get dropped again."

Evenpoel said he is mentally ready for the testing gravel stages at the end of week one and the opening stages to Rimini and Bologna.

Evenpoel spoke candidly about Tour winner Jonas Vingegaard and how Visma Lease-a-Bike seems to be downplaying his potential, especially after his terrible crash in the Ituria-Busasco country.

"If you believe the Visma team, he is nowhere to be found. Their explanation is not right.

"But it's Jonas Wingegaard, so I think he'll be here to fight with the best and be in contention for the Tour de France win."

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