Remco Evenepoel’s wife reveals how deeply his World Championships disappointment affected him
Remco Evenepoel has just claimed the European title missing from his palmarès. At the finish, his wife Oumi Rayane, of Moroccan origin, described how much his disappointment at the World Championships had affected him, despite the confidence he had shown.
“He likes to act tough,” Oumaïma “Oumi” Rayane told VTM, in comments reported this Monday, 5 October, by ABC Color. After finishing twelfth at the World Championships in Montréal, the Belgian rider felt he had let down his teammates, his federation and the fans.
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His wife had watched him live with that disappointment day after day. She describes a sensitive man, much sadder than his public appearances suggested. So Sunday’s title in Slovenia brought him particular relief: another defeat would have meant having to comfort him again, she jokes.
But first he had to win. Oumi watched a particularly tense finale against Italy’s Giulio Ciccone. Remco Evenepoel, who had crashed on a bend, had to fight his way back in the sprint. Only the photo finish separated the two riders, reports Redactie24. Once the victory was confirmed, the champion found his wife and embraced her.
Oumi has her moments of doubt, too
Evenepoel himself acknowledged that the World Championships had left him with a difficult week. He had shown less of his disappointment than he had felt. With his first European road title, he can now prepare for the Tour of Lombardy, followed by the Chrono des Nations, the next events on his season calendar.
For Oumi, the pressure surrounding results is nothing new. In July, after her husband won a stage of the Tour de France, she had already pointed to the sacrifices the rider had made and asked Belgian fans to support him more.
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Remco, for his part, has explained how much she helped him after his accident in December 2024. During the months of rehabilitation, he had doubted his sporting future. In a message to his wife before returning to competition in April 2025, he told her: “Without you, I would probably have quit.”
The couple, who have been together since their teens, married on 7 October 2022. On Wednesday, Oumi and Remco will celebrate their fourth wedding anniversary, this time with a new champion’s jersey at home.
