"Do you know what Evenepoel's problem is? He is a very good classics rider, but not a Grand Tour rider" - Tour de France winner sends Belgian warning
CyclingSaturday, 04 July 2026 at 10:27
Remco Evenepoel has been handed a bit of advice ahead of the 2026 Tour de France, and likely an opinion he would like to hear. Lining out as Red Bull - BORA Hansgrohe leader, the Belgian wants to win or podium La Grand Boucle.
But according to the last Belgian winner of the race Lucien Van Impe, Evenepoel would be better served targeting the green jersey than the yellow. The stinging advice comes with the analysis that he's not suited for a GC tilt at the Tour.
In 2024, Evenepoel produced his best-ever climbing level to finish third overall. However, despite shattering his own records, he still found himself well off the pace of Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard when it came to high mountains.
He did win the 2022 Vuelta a Espana, but legend Van Impe doesn't believe he's a rider for a grand tour - namely the Tour de France - and it's a problem if he is to continue targeting July.
Van Impe told Het Nieuwsblad: "Do you know what Evenepoel's problem is? He is a very good classics rider, but not a Grand Tour rider. And a good classics rider might just win the Vuelta a España on a good day."
Tour de France margin for error
He cites the minimal margin for error as the main reason for classics stars turned grand tour hopefuls: "That has happened before: Freddy Maertens, Laurent Jalabert, Sean Kelly. But the Tour is a whole different story. It is so difficult, so tough, and you have to be good every single day. At the slightest lapse, you are minutes behind. Your recovery capacity must be 100 percent,."
"If it's less than that, you will never win," Van Impe said. "Is it 98 percent? Then at best you can finish second. 95 percent? Then you might finish third. That is where Evenepoel falls short. If you don't have it, you don't have it."
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Despite the firm words, Van Impe insisted he does not think Evenepoel is a bad rider, but rather that he should switch his focus. Van Impe likened his challenge for Tour de France podium as riding himself "into the ground".
He concluded: "Just because I speak my mind doesn't mean he isn't a good rider. But he would be better off going for stages and the green jersey. To ride himself into the ground again just to finish third at best: I wouldn't do that."
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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- Losing more than 1 minute after one stage. Not good, especially when he's not even the tier one climber. Movistar can salvage the Tour by targeting stage hunting instead sacrificing riders to protect the GC goal. It's gone, baby, gone.
KerisVroom04-07-2026 - First fact: Uijtdebroeks forced an early exit from Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe at the end of 2023. He was frustrated by a lack of guaranteed Grand Tour starts??? Second fact: Uijtdebroeks terminated his contract with Visma-Lease a Bike two years early to sign a four-year deal with the Movistar. The same BS, because Visma could not guarantee him the Grand Tour racing program he needed. Third fact: Today Uijtdebroeks blew up, but he will say it was Movistars fault. Fourth fact: Uijtdebroeks will be looking for a new team.mus-musculuspeedypogigonzales04-07-2026
- LOL!
Rafionain-Glas04-07-2026 - Cian Uijdtebroeks "they dropped me, they bullied me"Rafionain-Glas04-07-2026
- I wouldn't go so far as to call him a very good classics rider, I would rather say good.MajorPayne04-07-2026
- Second at the Vuelta, 4th at the Tour, Silver medal at the WC, stage winner at all three GTsantipodeanpedalfan04-07-2026
- Huge huge fan of Remco, and this I would agree with.anonymouscyclist04-07-2026
- Cycling's getting like football punditry..
leedorney04-07-2026 - Just a thought, but with Ben O'Connor leaving Jayco and the team seeking increased investment from the UAE, he may be a standout leader with complete team focus and support. It would see Jayco return to the days of the Yates boys.whit2pet04-07-2026
- I don't think Jayco will be upset. His form over the past two seasons has been below par. The team will probably cease to exist after 2027 anyway.whit2pet04-07-2026
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