Remco Evenepoel sends a clear message to Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar
A little more than three weeks before the start of the Tour de France, Remco Evenepoel launches an important signal in the race that is traditionally used to prepare for the Grande Boucle, the Tour of the Dauphiné. In the 17.4-kilometer time trial starting in Charmes-sur-Rhône and finishing in Saint-Péray, the Soudal Quick-Step rider won with a time of 20’50”, ahead of 21″ Jonas Vingegaard and 37″ Matteo Jorgenson (both from Team Visma-Lease a Bike), but above all giving 49″ gap to Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates), who was a bit in the shade compared to expectations.
With his success in Wednesday’s time trial, Evenepoel also took the yellow jersey of leader of the classification, ousting Ivan Romeo of Movistar, who instead slipped to third place at 9″ (Florian Lipowitz of Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, 4″ from Evenepoel, moved up to second). Vingegaard is fifth in the overall standings at 16″ from the Belgian, Pogacar is eighth at 38″ behind.
World time trial champion in 2023 and 2024, as well as Olympic champion in both the road and time trial, Remco Evenepoel has his sights set firmly on the Tour de France 2025, knowing he can improve on his third-place finish in last year’s edition. For him, the first real goal could be a time trial, that of Caen (stage 5 of the 2025 Tour), which includes a 33-kilometer circuit suited to his characteristics.
In any case, Pogacar remains the number one favorite to win the Grande Boucle: the Slovenian, who literally cannibalized the season in 2024, leaving rivals few races among the most important ones, has already won UAE Tour, Strade Bianche, Tour of Flanders, Fleche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège this year. At the Tour de France he is aiming for his fourth overall success after those in the 2020, 2021 and 2024 editions: he also boasts two second places, in 2022 and 2023, behind Jonas Vingegaard in both cases.
