Remco Evenepoel finished fifth at the GP de Montréal, at the end of a difficult race that did not go his way. The Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe rider cited fatigue, casting doubts into his role at the upcoming world championships road race which will take place on the same circuit.
"I didn't feel good in the finale. I don't think I had fully recovered from Québec and the travel on Saturday. But I don't just give up, either. Better to have a bad day today than in two weeks," Evenepoel shared with Wielerflits.
The Olympic Champion saw the race become difficult from early on with strong early attacks, which would on paper benefit him. After winning the GP de Québec, the form looked to be on point. But inbetween races, Evenepoels says that he did not recover the best, and did not feel like he had the same legs this Sunday.
"You shouldn't underestimate it, especially with the limited time we have and the amateurish travel arrangements between the two races. But then again, that applies to everyone. I just didn't feel great. I’m never really at my best in humid weather, either. And I still finished fifth. If this was a bad day, it wasn't all that bad."
Remco Evenepoel won the 2026 GP De Québec
No conclusions drawn from Montréal
The Belgian was unable to follow the attacks on the penultimate lap by UAE who then had Isaac del Toro and Brandon McNulty - alongside a few other riders - link up to Adam Yates. The Emirati team, despite the majority, did not work to keep the Olympic Champion away. Before the final ascent of Mount Royal, he recovered his place in the group, but was unable to follow Paul Seixas and eventual winner del Toro when they attacked off the front.
"I’m not drawing any conclusions from this. In two weeks, the race will be another sixty kilometers longer, I think. It will be a completely different race then, with much more fatigue involved," he argues.
Evenepoel then had good legs at the line, beating the explosive Tom Pidcock and Giulio Ciccone in the uphill sprint, a sign that only in the longer efforts was he not up to par.
"In the end, I couldn't respond to the attack here, but I was the only one who could really close the gap. After that, I still had two good accelerations and, ultimately, a strong sprint. It didn't look promising for fifth place at first, but I managed to catch a few guys right at the finish line."
Evenepoel readying for the World Championships
Evenepoel, a week ahead of the beginning of the world championships, tried to push the pressure aside, and look at this past weekend as training. “Just a good training day with a solid result. I’ve had a good weekend. Now it’s time to get to work; from here on out, I’m focusing on the World Championship time trial, which takes place next Sunday, September 20—also in Montréal.”
“You guys will probably label me the worst rider in the world now," he joked. “I just didn’t have a good day. I told the team right away that we shouldn’t make an aggressive move, but rather take a bit of control over the course. I found my legs a bit towards the end, but once the pace really ramped up, I struggled.”
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Evenepoel will be amongst the main favourites for the road race, but it has become clear that he will not have a dominant role in the race, as could have been predicted following the GP de Québec.
But he remains stress-free, ahead of the final key period of his season. “I didn’t give up and pushed myself to the limit. I always experience this when coming down from altitude—missing that extra punch. There are still two weeks to go, so it’ll be fine.”
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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Brucegel14-11-2026 - I live in Maribor.PogiSloFans14-11-2026
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