Joao Almeida
The Portuguese rider appears to be Evenepoel’s most serious challenger. While his time trialling may not be as sharp as in the past - largely due to his focus on improving in the high mountains - he remains a formidable rider against the clock, as he showed with a dominant win at the recent Itzulia Basque Country.
Almeida took the overall win at the 2025 Itzulia Basque Country
Almeida's 2025 season has been consistently strong, with podium finishes in the Algarve and Valencia, a sixth-place in Paris–Nice, and that overall victory in the Basque Country. He’s expected to be in even better form by the time the Tour de Romandie starts, especially with the Tour de Suisse also on his calendar before the Tour de France.
Carlos Rodriguez
As the defending champion, Rodríguez naturally comes into the race as one of the top favourites. Time trials aren’t his speciality, so he’ll need to limit his losses in the prologue and other timed stages. Still, the race profile offers plenty of tough terrain, which suits his aggressive style.
Carlos Rodriguez's win in Romandie last year is still the INEOS Grenadiers' most recent GC triumph
Rodríguez has had a quiet season so far. After placing sixth in Valencia, he was forced to abandon the UAE Tour - his only other race to date in 2025. As a result, his current form remains something of a mystery, but his past performance in Romandie proves he's capable of delivering when it counts.
Aleksandr Vlasov
The Russian finished runner-up to Rodríguez last year and claimed overall victory in Romandie back in 2022. His 2025 season hasn’t been particularly impressive, with underwhelming results in Valencia, Paris–Nice, and the Basque Country. That said, he's likely using these races to build form ahead of a key support role for Primož Roglič at the Tour de France.
Vlasov is often there or thereabouts in these one-week stage races
Vlasov is a strong time trialist and usually performs well in week-long stage races. If he can stay close in the mountains, he has the potential to challenge for the overall win once again.