“I'm missing a bit” – Remco Evenepoel indicates what he lacks to fight with Pogacar and Vingegaard
Cycling
Remco Evenepoel may be enjoying a solid Tour de France so
far, but he’s not pulling punches when it comes to his rivals. The Belgian, who
already owns a stage win from the Stage 5 time trial, questioned the tactical
playbook of Team Visma | Lease a Bike, indicating that their approach is predictable.
Speaking to Wielerflits, Evenepoel was candid in his
assessment. “Honestly? No idea. I think they're racing the way they always want
to. They have four very strong riders for the GC and on the climbs. But what
they did on the stage to Puy de Sancy was predictable… They've been using the
same tactics for years, so that's not surprising anymore.”
Evenepoel referenced the role of Matteo Jorgenson, who’s
been riding high in the general classification, much like last year.
“Jorgenson is part of their tactics. But we saw that last
year too. Then he was high in the GC for a long time, until the mountain stages
started. At one point, he had to work too hard for Jonas. But now they have a
more balanced team with Sepp Kuss and Simon Yates. We'll see what that brings.
I think I can keep Jorgenson behind me.”
After a long transfer to Toulouse, Evenepoel admitted he was
happy to skip the podium duties and get an early jump on recovery.
“I just had the luxury of losing the white jersey and not
having to go on stage for the ceremony… I had a quick shower and jumped in the
car. I arrived at the hotel around 9:15 PM… This morning I slept in until 9:15
AM, so I really enjoyed it.”
Evenepoel sits in between the two dominant figures in this
Tour, Pogačar and Vingegaard, and admits the opening stage put him on the back
foot.
“Tadej Pogačar is a bit further ahead than I expected… That
first stage was a bit tough. We weren't quite sharp. But I think we recovered
well with the team after that.”
His maturity has been a noticeable shift in the last two
years, ever since his debut Tour in 2024 where he finished third.
“That experience helps me enormously… Last year, I panicked
after losing 39 seconds on the first day. Now I was able to immediately turn
things around… I'm staying calmer now. A lot can happen in the Tour.”
But Evenepoel acknowledges he’s not at full capacity after
an injury-riddled offseason.
“I'm missing a bit of that final punch… You saw that in
Rouen, you saw it at Mûr-de-Bretagne, and also on Monday at Puy de Sancy… At
the moment, everything looks pretty good. But we'll have to see what it's worth
when we get into the mountains.”
With UAE and Visma going toe-to-toe nearly every day,
Evenepoel is cautiously watching from behind.
“I don’t know either, to be honest. They attack each other
all the time… At some point, they’re going to break down. The tactics they used
a few years ago with Primož Roglič and Jonas against Tadej, they’re doing
exactly the same now.”
He’s clear on who he’s targeting. “I'm specifically looking
at Pogačar and Vingegaard. I want to battle with them in the future to win the
Tour… For me, it's important to hang with Tadej and Jonas for as long as
possible. And that I try to ride tactically smart.”
With the toughest climbing stages still ahead, Evenepoel is
sticking to a measured strategy.
“The Tour is still long. We're halfway there, but not in
terms of the elevation gain… I'm taking it one day at a time; I hope it all
works out well.”
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
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- great analysis thanks! appreciate you posting this. I didn't realize CX had a different standard for deviation. this is even more egregious it seems.mij10-11-2026
- As he isn't currently with Red Bull, I guess if he want to race for one more year he needs to find a team. He's 37 so this will be his last year I would guess, unless he wants to race for almost nothing like Froome did.awp10-11-2026
- I think some are making much ado about nothing. Even though Jonas is getting older, before his crash in the Tour, he looked like a solid 2nd all the way home. No one can really climb with Tadej until this year, Eric Mas showed himself which I think was a one off year for him and Paul Seixas has been able to be pretty close to him. Whatever stage race Jonas enters as long as Tadej is not there he is a favorite to win.awp10-11-2026
- Giro or not Giro, he won't win the Tour!MajorPayne10-11-2026
- Very true.awp10-11-2026
- Ciccone had a very strong end of season. Consistently attacking and livening up races. Hope he makes that last leap in progress and starts notching some significant wins. Great rider to watch.Occam10-11-2026
- Me too!!!!!Occam10-11-2026
- they can sign any 100 of top riders today but Pogi will win over Remco any time at the TDF unless something goes wrongabstractengineer10-11-2026
- the time for a GC rider to retire is when they cannot win stages, or have a significant level drop like from winner/podium into top 5/10 consistently. Roglic is still competitive and Froome raced even though he became pack fodder.abstractengineer10-11-2026
- He should be in a different team. It was detrimental. For them it does not matter if he does not develop. He should have gone to a team where they need him to succeed.abstractengineer10-11-2026
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