Evenepoel looking to test himself on "things that are all new to me" with brutal week in Suisse
Cycling
Remco Evenepoel is putting himself to the test this week at the Tour de Suisse, with a very complicated stage-race set to put everyone in difficulties. It is an important goal for the Belgian rider who has talked about his ambitions.
"Against men in good shape, who go from here to the Tour de France. That means that I also had to make sure that I was very close to top form," Evenepoel said. Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl have a team to support him in the mountains, but nevertheless he has to contest with the likes of INEOS Grenadiers and BORA - hansgrohe who come with large depth.
His ambitions are very clear, and to no surprise for anyone: "A good result in the standings is of course the goal. The final time trial and the final classification are marked with a dot.” On the opening day the Belgian went on the attack, albeit unsuccessfully. However with the likes of Daniel Martínez, Gino Mäder and Ion Izagirre loosing time, it was still a positive balance.
He detailed his tactics for the week aswell, confirming that "it always comes down to details. But top-5 or top-3, I do believe in that. Especially with that time trial at the end, that's quite interesting for me and ensures that I can race defensively for the first few days. Be smart, save the first five days, and then start the closing weekend full of energy."
The real challenges will come in the mountains late in the race, where long Alpine ascents will take over from the explosive racing in the first half of the week. “Long stages, with long climbs. Often above 2,000 meters altitude. Those are things that are all new to me, and good to discover this week," he said. This will serve as testing aswell for his stage-racing abilities in the high mountains, as for the upcoming Vuelta a España where he will be focusing on the GC.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
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Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
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- This is a phenomenal course design. I do wish that they'd stretch these tours for the women to at least 2 weeks.RidesHills03-11-2026
- This is an amazing route, honestly. Let's hope that it attracts riders to make it a compelling and competitive race. Side bar amusement: going to Slovenia and passing pretty close to Pogačar's house. I wonder if they were tempting him to get all 3 jerseys at once after winning the Tour and Vuelta. After all, only a very few have ever had all three at the same time (Froome being the last).RidesHills03-11-2026
- He was a child two years ago
Rafionain-Glas03-11-2026 - A great route aswell. Col d'Arpy is a toughieRafionain-Glas03-11-2026
- Let Torito have a shot at itRafionain-Glas03-11-2026
- A great route, much more exciting than the Tour de France. Monte Livata is an interesting one, because they experimented with it at the 2026 Baby Giro, and it was fantastic. 4 km at 10%, then 10 km at 6.5% made for a great spectacle. The stage 16 is horrible. Montaner is also used in the U23s, in Giro del BelvedereRafionain-Glas03-11-2026
- I remember when Mark went through that. He was really experiencing lows and thought about quiting many times. It took him a long time to recover. I, like many others were overjoyed when he came back. I hope Lafay has been tested. I wish him the best.Paggss03-11-2026
- That sucks for him. I've always wondered what guys like him do after retiring from cycling - go back to uni? He's still a very young manCrashjames03-11-2026
- Good Point, I wonder if he's been testedmhfrvz03-11-2026
- A busy boy!Lozza03-11-2026
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Heading to the start after the #TourdeSuisse2022 teams presentation.
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