"A great day for a stage win" - Remco Evenepoel confident ahead of Tourmalet return as Tour de France steps up a gear
Cycling
Remco Evenepoel finds himself in a good place ahead of stage 6 of the Tour de France. Riding a consistent race so far, the Belgian is expecting the first real sorting of the general classification favourites set to take place on Thursday.
Over 4,000 meters of climbing on the agenda, the GC favourites should have their fireworks come Thursday afternoon as the Col du Tourmalet opens up the high mountains - topping at 38.5 kilometers to go and a daring descent followed by an uphill ascent to the finish looming.
Ahead of the stage, the Red bull - BORA Hansgrohe rider acknowledged the day's importance as he cut a confident and positive figure in interviews with media.
"Is this a big test? Yes, that makes sense when you've got the Tourmalet in the final," Evenepoel told Sporza. "It'll be an important day for the general classification and a great day for a stage win.”
When it comes to the favourites, Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard are the big names on fans' lips. The pair are the yellow jersey favourites, but other contenders such as Evenepoel, Paul Seixas and Florian Lipowitz all hoping to have a say. The Belgian wants to have confidence in his abilities.
Remco aware he needs to have confidence in his ability
He added: "I need to have confidence in myself and try to stay with them for as long as possible. If you reach the finish with a small group, there's always a chance of a stage win."
It's not just climbing on Thursday, the Red Bull - BORA Hansgrohe rider is aware that the pace will be high from the Col d'Aspin - coming before the Tourmalet itself - and noted the danger of becoming separated and forced to work hard in valleys between climbs.
"That's the story of every mountain stage, and today is no different," Evenepoel said. "It's 18km of non-stop climbing. From the Aspin, the pace will be fast, and on the Tourmalet it will be even faster. But there's still a valley to come where you might find yourself in trouble."
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Evenepoel insists he's not looking at other teams' strategies. Ignorance is bliss for the 2022 Vuelta a Espana champion in his pursuit of the Tour de France podium this month.
He added: "It could go either way. But I haven't been following the other teams' strategy meetings. So I don't know what they're planning."
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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