“I now estimate that I am close to the best time trial Remco ever” – Evenepoel believes he is close to career best shape

With just one week to go until the 2025 Tour de France, Remco Evenepoel appears to be hitting form at the perfect time. The Soudal – Quick-Step rider claimed his second career victory in the Belgian National Time Trial Championships yesterday, using the race not only as a final tune-up but as a critical checkpoint in a meticulously planned Tour build-up.

The decision to leave his altitude training camp early raised eyebrows, but Evenepoel explained his thinking in a post-race interview with Wielerflits. “It’s not that difficult to get myself ready for that. Due to the fact that I’ve been out for a long time with my shoulder injury, we immediately said that we were going to take part in the two Belgian Championships as an extra incentive,” he said. “I hadn’t done long time trials for a while either: in that respect, this was also a dress rehearsal for the time trial in the Tour.”

That Tour TT rehearsal paid off with a dominant display in the national race, and it allowed Evenepoel to gather final data on the setup he’ll use in France. “It was mainly a matter of testing the entire set-up that I will be riding in the Tour de France with, in terms of position and such, one last time. In the end, I have to say that everything has been approved. I did what I wanted to do and it was an almost perfect time trial.”

The 25-year-old Belgian was especially pleased with the sensations on the bike. “I now estimate that I am close to the best time trial Remco ever. I have to maintain that now towards the three weeks in France.”

But even with that confidence, Evenepoel is taking a different approach to his Tour preparation this year. After a punishing return to racing at the Critérium du Dauphiné, where he endured searing heat and a demanding final weekend, the team eased off slightly in their altitude block. “I felt that I needed some rest after the Dauphiné,” he said. “It was a tough final weekend, in which the heat played a major role. And also, I think I still shouldn't forget that I've had a pretty bad winter. That's why I sometimes need a bit more recovery than last year.”

“Knowing that I would also be riding the two Belgian championships, it was advisable to recover a bit more,” Evenepoel explained.

Another key change has been his weight. “I am now about a kilogram lighter than before the Tour de France last year. That is necessary, because it is again a lot of uphill. Especially from week two. It was also the plan to be a bit lighter.”

Evenepoel noted that he and his coaches have worked hard to strike the right balance between reducing weight and maintaining power, a mistake he feels they made at the 2022 Vuelta a España. “There is also a climbing time trial in the Tour, in which weight is more important than on the flat. I think we have sought a balance of less weight, but with maintaining power. Not like in the 2022 Vuelta: then I was a bit lighter and had a bit less power. It is always a matter of finding a balance and making sure that it ends well.”

As for equipment, there’s been no compromise on detail. “What we often find most useful are material-technical matters such as the type of handlebars or – like now for example – the helmet that is cut out and helps me to lie a little lower with my head. Tyres or gears are also things that we test a little more than my own position. Every little detail counts, because I saw that Filippo Ganna is also riding around with a new helmet. Everyone is working on the details and we cannot stand still.”