Remco Evenpoel has decided to compete in the Giro d'Italia in 2020. The leader of the Dečuninck-Quick Step team plans to use his Grand Tour debut as a test of his stage racing ability and as a solid foundation for his form in anticipation of the Tokyo Olympics.

Evenpoel hinted that he would be competing in the Giro d'Italia when he was honored as Belgium's athlete of the year in late December. He said, "My program has been set since training camp, but I can't say anything before my presentation on January 10."

He said he has four goals for 2020. Liège-Bastogne-Liège, the Olympics, the World Championships, and Il Lombardia.

In an exclusive interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, the Italian sports newspaper that owns Corsa Rosa, Evenpoel admitted that he will compete in the Giro d'Italia. More details about his and the Belgian team's 2020 goals will be revealed at a team presentation in Calpe, Spain, on Friday.

Evenpoel, who just turned 20 on January 25, will be one of the youngest riders to make his Grand Tour debut. Fausto Coppi is the youngest ever winner of the Giro d'Italia, taking the maglia rosa at age 20 years, 8 months, and 25 days.

"It's a great honor," he said. It's the first Grand Tour of my long career. I can't wait."

Evenepoel first raced in Italy in 2018, when he won the prestigious Giro di Lunigiana stage race. He took the stage of the Adriatica Ionica race in July and said he loved the passion of the Italian tifosi.

"Italy is as crazy about cycling as Belgium is. The races are full of energy and spectacular. The Giro is probably the only Grand Tour where you can't predict what's going to happen, and I love that.

"I started talking about the 2020 season last August when I qualified for the Tokyo Olympics (Belgian team). The Giro d'Italia will be an important part of my Olympic journey. The Giro d'Italia will be an important part of my road to the Olympics.

After winning the 2019 European time trial title and finishing second behind Rohan Dennis at the World Championships, it is no surprise that Evenepoel will compete in the opening time trial in Budapest. He may not finish the Giro d'Italia, where his Grand Tour prowess will be tested, but he will be one of the big names alongside Peter Sagan, Vincenzo Nibali, Simon Yates, Romain Bardet, Jakob Fuglsang, and 20129 winner Richard Calapas I'm sure he'll be one of the big names.

"I can test my limits and the longest race ever is only nine days. 'It's not about stress or any particular ambition, it's about gaining experience. I can run for two or three weeks, or I can run for ten days. But I'm going to give it my all, every time."

"The time trial in the opening race could be good for me. But anything can happen, and on a good day I might beat everyone, or I might finish last. We'll see. I'm going to ride the Giro d'Italia to learn and improve."

Even though Evenpoel has always been dismissive of comparisons to Eddy Merckx, he is ambitious. He is the youngest rider in a new generation of stage race riders that includes Egan Bernal, Tadej Pogachar, Pavel Sivakov, and David Gaudoux.

"I don't like being compared to Merckx, it's a different era.

"I want to be the best of my generation. I know it's hard. But I want to try, and maybe in 15 years we can look back and discuss whether we did it."

"I aspire to be a Grand Tour rider. The long climbs are like time trials, with lots of time to accelerate at high power. Numbers-wise, I'm suited for the Grand Tours, but I have to prove it. But I know that if I crash, I will work harder, and even if I don't crash, I know I will have to do a lot of hard work."

The Giro d'Italia, which runs from May 9-31, includes three individual time trials and the Etna, Monte Bondone, Madonna di Campiglio, Passo dello Stelvio, Colle dell'Agnello, Montgenèvre, and Col d'Izoire, Sestriere, and other iconic climbs.

Cycling News will bring you live coverage of every stage of the Giro d'Italia, reports, photo galleries, exclusive news and interviews.

Barry Ryan will bring you more news and interviews from the Detunink-Quick Step team presentation in Calpe, Spain.