"An important step in Remco’s future as a Grand Tour rider" - Oliver Naesen believes Evenepoel shouldn't give up on Tour de France

Cycling
Tuesday, 28 July 2026 at 09:00
Remco Evenepoel and Tadej pogacar after the 2026 Tour de France
Silencing most of his doubters, Remco Evenepoel re-introduced himself as a top Grand Tour GC contender at the 2026 Tour de France with a second place overall. Yes, the improvement as compared to 2024 was largely enabled by Jonas Vingegaard's abandon, but it's still a vital positive impuls after a disappointing 2025 Tour.
And Belgium have waited for a rider to come as close to Tour victory as Evenepoel for over four decades - even longer than the French fans wait for overall victory - ever since Lucien Van Impe's second place in 1981.
"This is an important step in Remco’s future as a Grand Tour rider," fellow professional Oliver Naesen says on HLN Cycling Podcast.
The Belgian knows a stroke of luck played in Evenepoel's favor too, with the second favorite's abandon on stage 15. "His final result was [always going to be] somewhere between second and fifth. He has now gotten the maximum out of it. Had that been a worse result, champion Remco might have oriented himself differently in the future. This will strengthen his belief that it really is possible," Naesen points out.
Third before, now second. Evenepoel is still just 26 years old and has plenty of time to try and conquer Grande Boucle, but should he even try to; especially in the presence of Tadej Pogacar?
Meanwhile, winning one of the other two Grand Tours might come across as much more straight-forward. "Adding the Giro is certainly not that simple. Just ask Victor Campenaerts. He is completely exhausted right now. You really have to look at it step by step. First and foremost, look at the course," notes Naesen.
Remco Evenepoel won two stages at the 2026 Tour de France
Remco Evenepoel won two stages at the 2026 Tour de France
"Is that a Giro where half of it takes place above 2,000 meters, or is it a Giro with three long time trials? But the Tour remains the Tour. It accounts for three-quarters of the importance of the cycling year. That is where the biggest commercial interests lie. Then, as a rider, you realize yourself how important the Tour is. Perhaps he should keep aiming for that Tour, it seems to me. But if there is a golden opportunity in another Grand Tour, why not?"
claps 0visitors 0
loading

Just in

Popular news

Latest comments

Loading