“He was probably already carrying it” – More information explains Evenepoel’s nightmare in the Pyrenees
Cycling
Soudal – Quick-Step left the 2025 Tour de France with a mixed
bag of glory and disappointment. Remco Evenepoel started strong with a stage 5
win and briefly held third overall, only to abandon in the Pyrenees after a
crash aggravated a rib fracture. Tim Merlier sprinted to two victories,
including head-to-head wins over green jersey winner Jonathan Milan. And
Valentin Paret-Peintre gave French fans a rare celebration on Mont Ventoux,
salvaging national pride in the mountains.
Team CEO Jurgen Foré called the Tour a success, despite
Evenepoel’s early exit. "After his crash at the Belgian Championships,
Remco's symptoms weren't that severe. It wasn't until further examination after
his new crash on the third day of the Tour that a small fracture in one of his
ribs was discovered. Fortunately, it hadn't displaced, so taping provided
relief and we were able to continue treating it."
The team had deliberately kept the injury quiet, to avoid
rivals from taking advantage of him. "Of course, we didn't go around
saying it, so as not to give the competition any ideas,” Foré said. “It
certainly wasn't a gift, something like that is frustrating. But I don't think
we should see it as the main reason for his withdrawal."
Foré also confirmed there were no signs of illness at the
start. "Until the day he dropped out of the race, his blood sugar levels
were perfectly normal and at the same level as last year – Remco has never
started a stage sick. But that changed in the days that followed. So he was
probably already carrying it."
Despite the disappointment, Foré remains proud of the team's
performance. "Absolutely. We're living a bit of a dream. Four stage wins
in a Grand Tour: that's the exception rather than the rule. There are fourteen
teams that haven't won anything in this Tour. That's the story, isn't it?"
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
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- Great response! I love the article also. Interesting to see which "Legends" will be covered. There are a few out there :-)
DareDevil11-11-2026 - This is one of the reasons why Ineos is failing, G can comment on his pod but why has he not attracted talent from the peloton to Ineos. He has lot of inside track. Also ratcliffe handling of Man United is also disastrous.abstractengineer11-11-2026
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leedorney11-11-2026 - Hey @santiagobenites, that's why @leedorney is wrong. He doesn't see the bigger picture.PogiSloFans11-11-2026
- the rot started in 2022 with Bernal's accident Signings- Just super helpers and non winners. Foss GC Leaders - Reliance on injured Bernal and retiring G Talents - On domestique duty dont learn how to win. Sprinters - No top Sprinter signed Tactics- Outdated Save the leader, trains. Just money badly spent even though there were opportunitiesabstractengineer11-11-2026
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- for what?frieders311-11-2026
- Blah blah blah!frieders311-11-2026
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