"I finished only ten seconds behind Primoz Roglic. This means that he also has difficult moments" - Remco Evenepoel positive after Dauphine's final stage
Cycling
Remco Evenepoel was very clear pre-race that he wasn't riding for the general classification at the 2024 Criterium du Dauphine and so it turned out too, as the Belgian finished 7th overall, 2:25 down on the eventual race winner, Primoz Roglic.
Although there was some more time loss for the Soudal - Quick-Step leader on the final stage, the Belgian national champion looked a lot bright than the previous mountain stage, as he confirmed himself in a post-stage interview. “I generally felt much better than on Saturday," Evenepoel explains. “That is very positive. Saturday was also the second day after my crash on Thursday and then I often have a bad day. I had a good night's sleep that night and recovered well.”
On the final climb of the day, Evenepoel even showed his face at the very front of the race for a short while, although he soon left that folly for another day. “I may have puffed myself up a bit by trying to follow De Plus, but that was just to see what would happen as I was feeling good," he recalls. "After that I chose my own pace. But this was a positive ending.”
With this being his first race back since crashing out of the Itzulia Basque Country with a broken collarbone, Evenepoel's main target is yet to come this summer, as the former Vuelta a Espana winner makes his much-anticipated Tour de France debut.
“Especially after Saturday, when I was really struggling, it was important to be able to end today with a good feeling and fortunately we succeeded. I was able to maintain my position in the general classification, so that is very positive. And today I finished only ten seconds behind Primoz Roglic. This means that he also has difficult moments," concludes Evenepoel optimistically. "We have to be positive: I am not yet 100% at the moment. Maybe 85, maximum 90%. So there is still some work to be done, but the fact that I can end this week like this is very positive. I think I will come out of this Dauphiné in better condition than when I started it."
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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Strong ride from @EvenepoelRemco, who comes in the top ten on this tough stage for a solid 7th place overall at the #Dauphine.
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