“I would be more concerned if Evenepoel had won that monster climb by five minutes” - Philippe Gilbert says UAE Tour setback shows Remco is not peaking too early

Remco Evenepoel’s UAE Tour was supposed to be another early-season statement. Instead, it became a week of mountain setbacks and post-stage analysis.

Dropped on Jebel Mobrah. Distanced again on Jebel Hafeet. A dominant time trial sandwiched between two climbing disappointments. For many, that sequence raises concerns. For Philippe Gilbert, it proves something entirely different.

Evenepoel began the week in control after a dominant time trial, but both summit finishes told a different story. First on Jebel Mobrah and then again on Jebel Hafeet, he was unable to follow the decisive accelerations and admitted afterwards that he had not reached the required level.

“I did not reach the level to compete for the wins in both mountain stages,” Evenepoel said following Stage 6, adding: “I hadn't fully digested those first races… I was also a bit ill.”

Earlier in the week, he had already begun analysing the setback, revealing: “The air conditioning in my room wasn’t working. It was very warm. But that’s been fixed now.”

Rather than pointing to a single cause, Evenepoel has gradually built a picture of heavy racing load, recovery issues, disrupted sleep and minor illness. The tone throughout has been measured rather than dramatic.

Gilbert believes that context matters. “He had already raced a lot in the weeks beforehand, went very deep on Tuesday in that downright impressive time trial, and this is his first race in extreme heat: then this can happen,” says the Belgian legend to Het Nieuwsblad.

For Gilbert, the bigger concern would have been the opposite scenario. “And it’s not as if he lost twenty minutes. If the opposite had happened, I would almost be more concerned. Suppose Evenepoel had won that monster climb by five minutes, after his earlier victories in Valencia and Mallorca, then I would gradually have started asking whether he was not peaking far too early. Remco is still nicely on schedule.”

That framing shifts the narrative entirely. Rather than reading the UAE Tour as a warning sign, Gilbert views it as a normal part of early-season progression, particularly given the intensity of Evenepoel’s start to 2026 and the change of environment at Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe.

Gilbert also dismissed the idea that alarm bells would be ringing at the team. Having experienced a major team switch himself, he pointed to the pressure that comes with wanting to immediately justify expectations.

“Believe me, that brings stress and high expectations. You want to show yourself immediately, preferably by winning. You cannot say that Evenepoel hasn’t done that.”

Evenepoel’s week in the UAE has been defined by strong time trialling but visible vulnerability in the mountains. Twice, he has been distanced. Twice, he has publicly assessed what went wrong. And twice he has insisted there is no need for panic.

“We don’t need to panic. I’ve raced a lot already, and this is a process towards Catalunya and the Ardennes. Just stay calm and keep going. It will be fine.”

The overall victory in the UAE is gone, but the broader season remains intact. According to Gilbert, that may be the more important perspective.

In a sport where early dominance can sometimes come at a cost later in the year, Evenepoel’s imperfect week might say less about weakness and more about timing.

And if Gilbert is right, being slightly short in February may be exactly where he needs to be.