Evenepoel begins second Tour de France with higher expectations and more doubts
Remco Evenepoel began his long-awaited debut in the Tour de France last year with low expectations, but finished third in the overall ranking. This year will be different: not only will he have to live up to the expectations he set in 2024, he will also have to fight off doubts about his form and that of his team.
In 2024, Evenepoel experienced a season that most cyclists can only dream of. The Belgian star claimed two Olympic gold medals and was crowned world champion in the time trial. In the Tour de France, he made his mark by taking home the white jersey and delivering Belgium’s first podium finish since 2010.
This year, Evenepoel’s prospects do not seem as bright. He was forced to sit out the start of the season to recover from an accident in training, where he suffered multiple bone fractures. The injury was so severe that he even considered quitting as a professional cyclist.
Long-term impact
The impact of that injury - and the ensuing disrupted preparation for the season - could be seen during the Critérium du Dauphiné earlier this month, commonly seen as a preview for the Tour de France. For Evenepoel, the race was a critical test of his current form ahead of the French Grand Tour.
Evenepoel left the Dauphiné with mixed results. On the one hand, he showcased his mastery of the time trial by finishing 21 seconds ahead of Jonas Vingegaard and 49 seconds ahead of Tadej Pogacar - the two favourites for winning the Tour - during stage 4.
On the other, he was unable to cling to their wheels during the mountain stages. Evenepoel ultimately placed fourth, more than four minutes behind Pogacar.
“Evenepoel has no chance of winning the Tour de France”
Given these results, many analysts believe Evenepoel’s chances of winning the Tour are slim. That includes former professional cyclist Jan Bakelants. “Evenepoel has no chance of winning the Tour de France,” he told Het Laatste Nieuws. “The gap to Vingegaard and Pogačar seems to be even bigger than last year.”
Team doubts
Doubts extend beyond Evenepoel’s individual performance. His team, Soudal-Quick Step, is facing serious setbacks. Key lieutenant Mikel Landa suffered a horrific crash during the opening stage of the Giro d’Italia and is still recovering from his injuries. Another top support rider, Louis Vervaeke, had his Tour de France preparation upended when he broke his collarbone in the Dauphiné.
Their absence became visible during Stage 7 of the Dauphiné. While Pogacar of UAE-Team Emirates and Jonas Vingegaard of Visma-Lease a Bike were surrounded by teammates during the final climbs, Evenepoel was completely isolated up front.
Still, there are reasons for optimism. Evenepoel made a triumphant return from his injuries in April by winning the Brabantse Pijl. He has also proved he is still worthy of the time trial world title, by winning two races comfortably ahead of his competition this season. And he improved on his Dauphiné result of last year, when he finished seventh.
The objective for Evenepoel in the Tour de France seems clear: win the time trial and the yellow jersey on day 5, then hang on to Vingegaard and Pogacar as long as possible in the mountains. If he manages that, another podium finish is within reach. But it seems a foregone conclusion that Evenepoel will not take home the yellow jersey this year.
Remco Evenepoel (second left), tailed by Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogačar in the Critérium du Dauphiné © PHOTO ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT / AFP
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