"I rode into a big gap" - Clear-minded Remco Evenepoel details what led to astonishing Catalunya crash
Cycling
Remco Evenepoel is an emotional rider and the end of stage 3 of the Volta a Catalunya was a true whirlwind of events. A surprising late attack in the crosswinds; an argument with an uncollaborative Jonas Vingegaard and a crash out of nowhere in the final kilometer marked the Olympic Champion's day. However, with a night of sleep and some recovery already in, the Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe rider has discussed what happened in detail.
The stage into Vila-Seca was prone to early attacks or a breakaway win; but it soon became apparent that a bunch sprint was set to decide the outcome of the day with the peloton seemingly under control. However as soon as the riders entered the final flat section of the day, away from the climbs and descents that marked it, the crosswinds came into play.
Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe attacked and split the peloton quickly, and then Remco Evenepoel himself attacked with 28 kilometers to go. He was followed only by Jonas Vingegaard, who at first didn't collaborate for several minutes, leading to a lot of frustration, and visible anger from the Belgian.
"There was some doubt, and I just kept going. I saw that Jonas was closing the gap, so I wanted to go to the finish with him," Evenepoel said this morning to CyclingPro.net. "We had a nice gap to go for the win and sprint, but fate decided otherwise".
"We knew in the morning that the wind would be at our backs on this road, but we also knew that on the return it would come more from the side. So it was going to be echelons. The team did it perfectly, first on the descent, but then we also took care of the selection. It was amazing. It was exactly how we wanted to do it".
Remco Evenepoel after crashing on stage 3 of the 2026 Volta a Catalunya
How did the crash happen?
It happened as quickly as one could've possibly imagined. Evenepoel crashed seemingly with no obstacles on the road only with a few hundred meters to go for the stage finish and with several seconds of lead over the peloton.
The road spelled disaster for him, a 'one in a million' crash. "I wanted to shift gears for the sprint, but at that moment I rode into a big gap [on the road]. I didn't see it, and it wasn't clearly visible on the road. That's why I went over my handlebars".
The consequences: A lot of road rash, but no fractures, he confirms. "We had scans done at the hospital, but apart from some back issues, everything is okay. Regarding the tactics: everyone has their own goals, and that is their prerogative. I only asked for some relief so I could settle in a bit, but that didn't happen. It only gives me more motivation".
The cut of today's stage, originally into Valter 2000 Setcases, provides the leader of Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe with an extra day to recover from his injuries. The new finale makes it a day that is expected to be discussed between the sprinters; but this Friday and Saturday the riders are likely to still make the trip to the Pyrenees.
"We shall see. There are some major injuries, so we will see tonight and tomorrow morning how everything reacts. But as I said: I am standing, and nothing is broken, so that is good," he concluded.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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- I get the point totally. We live in the snowflake society where some riders forget they are getting paid to ride and get results. When they have a few issues they try to look outside of the real issue instead of themselves. It odd so many of the team are making no complaints and getting on with their job. If you do not like what you do find another job simples. Tough love as my mum would say.paultryan200207-11-2026
- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
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