"I remain focused on my place on the podium" - Remco Evenepoel aware moving up Tour de France GC remains a tough ask despite time gain on stage 17

Whilst many were expecting Remco Evenepoel to fade slightly in the third week of the 2024 Tour de France, the Belgian showed some impressive signs on stage 17, gaining time on both Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard in a thrilling finale to the day.

“I had done the reconnaissance for this stage so I knew the final well and that helped me," reflects the Belgian leader of Soudal - Quick-Step in his post-stage interview. At the end of the day, Evenepoel remains 3rd overall but is 12 seconds closer to Jonas Vingegaard and 10 seconds closer to Tadej Pogacar, with his podium position now buffered by just short of eight minutes.

"The start of the stage was very difficult, it took more than two hours to form a breakaway," continues Evenepoel's recap of the day's racing. "Then I thought we were going to finish quite quietly, but Lidl-Trek launched an attack, then it was Tadej so there was a confrontation again. I was with Jonas and he did his best to come back, we were able to catch up on the descent with Christophe Laporte."

The leader of the White Jersey classification wasn't content with simply limiting losses though, and actually attacked himself in the finale. "At that moment, I felt like I had good legs and I was confident. So in the car they told me that I could try something. There was Jan Hirt at the front. I asked him to wait for me and then drop me off at the last kilometre and he did it perfectly," he concludes. "I took back 10” from Tadej and Jonas but that wasn’t the goal. I remain focused on my place on the podium, I'm good where I am but it allowed me to gain a little time on those behind me. I know that Tadej is defending his first place, but I am five minutes from him so I benefit from a little freedom and I took advantage of it.”