"He couldn't finish the intervals. Not even the first set..." - Remco Evenepoel's first full training session with Tim Heemskerk didn't go to plan
CyclingMonday, 03 August 2026 at 12:24
Remco Evenepoel has enjoyed a fruitful relationship with new coach Tim Heemskerk after the former Visma | Lease a Bike joined Red Bull - BORA Hansgrohe earlier this year. However, despite initially clicking, Heemskerk got a phone call during the Belgian's first tough session.
A phone call from a rider on a training session is rarely one to signal good news and Heemskerk has opened up on the the initial teething problems as they worked together and how they adjusted it to find success.
That success has been underlined by two stage wins and second overall at the 2026 Tour de France, fully justifying Evenepoel's stringent no-racing preparation before La Grand Boucle. Seemingly in the best shape of his career, Evenepoel followed his Tour up with a commanding Clasica San Sebastian win on Saturday.
Earlier in the season as Dan Lorang left Red Bull to join Lidl-Trek and Heemskerk came on board, the subject of Evenepoel's training plan led to a definitive positive start to the new approach. As the coach outlines, it was Evenepoel who took the lead to turn a blank slate for the Tour de France.
“At Remco’s request. He didn’t want an interim solution and wanted me to start immediately so we could work towards the Tour together," Tim Heemskerk told Het Nieuwsblad.
Evenepoel couldn't finish first set of intervals
But when it came to rolling up the sleeves and getting down to it, the 26-year-old struggled with his first tough interval session under his new coach. In fact, in a session with multiple sets of intervals planned, Evenepoel could not complete the first set.
“A rider who calls you in the middle of a training session usually isn't to say that everything is going fantastically. He said he couldn't finish the intervals. Not even the first set.”
Despite striking rocks on the first sailing, the pair steadied the ship and adjusted the course towards a steadier build-up and found their rhythm in the months and weeks leading up to the Tour.
Their fruitful relationship is further underlined by Patrick Evenepoel, his father, as he described the feelings when rider and coach first sat down to map out their route to success.
Remco Evenepoel at Clasica San Sebastian 2026
Patrick Evenepoel describes first meeting
“We had a meeting with Tim and Remco, and those two clicked immediately," Patrick Evenepoel told Pickx+.
"The way Tim explained everything... 'I see it this way, this way, this way...' Zak [Dempster, Chief of Sports, Ed.] was there too. 'Are we going to do it this way? Okay, boom.' If you win Remco's trust, you can do anything with it.”
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Evenepoel Sr. saw the difference soon after, noting that he had never seen such a level both mentally and physically in his son when they went to visit him during training.
“In his head, towards us... We went to visit him in Calpe for a weekend and watched his training. Then I said to my wife: 'I haven't seen this before'.”
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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