"I can’t beat them on that kind of finish. So I just didn’t go for it" - Remco Evenepoel keeps his powder dry on stage 2 of 2025 Tour de France
Cycling
In a dramatic finale to stage 2 at the 2025 Tour de France, Mathieu van der Poel powered to the stage win ahead of Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard. Although he was safely in the lead group today, Remco Evenepoel was unable to get himself in the mix for the stage win.
"It was difficult for me to do anything," assessed Evenepoel honestly to CyclingUpToDate and the rest of the assembled media at the finish line. "so I just tried to arrive safely — and that worked out well. A positive end to the day."
When asked if he had contemplated doing something himself on either the final climb of the day of one of the ones previous, Evenepoel answered honestly: "Yes, but I didn’t have the feeling it would be useful. Especially since Visma had someone in second place. And I think Mathieu also really wanted to win the race," he explains. "I’m very happy Mathieu won today."
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Still though, Evenepoel is happy with his feeling and his form. "I don’t think I can complain about that. Everything was good today — positioning was pretty good today too. Everything was a little sharper than yesterday," he says. "That’s my place — with the best, in front. It’s not about regaining confidence. I’ve never lost confidence. I just wanted to be there at the end — and I was."
"I know that guys like Mathieu and Julian Alaphilippe — I can’t beat them on that kind of finish. So I just didn’t go for it," the Belgian leader of Soudal - Quick-Step concludes. "But in the end, it’s always easy to say, 'Maybe I should have sprinted with them.' The most important thing was to be in with the first group — and stay upright. And not lose time on something stupid outside of the time bonuses."
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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leedorney11-11-2026 - Say hi to your orange orangutan president, who wears diapers.PogiSloFans11-11-2026
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- I had no idea about that either.
santiagobenites10-11-2026
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