"I did a good job for Lipowitz, but also for myself" - Remco Evenepoel stands by team role after Catalunya summit finish

Remco Evenepoel’s view of the sixth stage of the 2026 Volta a Catalunya differed from that of Florian Lipowitz after Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe reshaped the race but did not take the win.

While Lipowitz focused on the opportunity that slipped away behind Jonas Vingegaard, Evenepoel pointed instead to what the move had delivered for both riders. “That was a good thing for him, but also for myself, because I gained a lot of time on the riders behind me,” he told Sporza afterwards.

The decisive moment came before the final climb, when the race split on a technical descent and a reduced group moved clear.

Evenepoel forced the issue in that section, using the terrain to create separation and position Lipowitz in the front group that would go on to decide the stage. “I knew it was a technical descent and that something could happen there,” he explained. “In the valley, I was able to work together with a Bahrain rider. On the final climb, I just rode a hard tempo to the top. In the end, I only lose around ten seconds to Lipowitz and Martinez.”

From there, the stage was settled on the climb to Queralt, where Vingegaard attacked clear, leaving Lipowitz and Lenny Martinez to complete the podium behind.

Evenepoel had not set out to ride in that role at the start of the stage, but adapted once his condition became clearer on the climbs. “It was actually a bit of a decision in the moment, because the plan was to try something on the penultimate climb,” said the Olympic champion. “Halfway up that climb, I felt that my legs weren’t super. Good enough to ride hard, but I didn’t have the feeling that I could go over my limit. I also didn’t want to take any risks.”

His approach was also shaped by the after-effects of his earlier crash. “After that crash, I had a few difficult days. The impact was bigger than expected.”

With the general classification now largely settled, Evenepoel turns his attention to the final stage in Barcelona. “Tomorrow’s stage to Barcelona should suit me. The general classification is more or less decided, so I think there should be room to try something.”

After committing fully to the team on the decisive day in the mountains, the Belgian heads into the finale with a final chance to chase a result of his own.