“It was close to perfect” – Remco Evenepoel ticks early box on Tour de France path with ideal Red Bull debut at Trofeo Ses Salines
Cycling
A winter of expectation turned into immediate confirmation on the roads of Mallorca, as Remco Evenepoel opened his new chapter with a statement victory in the Trofeo Ses Salines.
On his first competitive outing for Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe, the Belgian played a central role in a commanding team time trial win, delivering exactly the kind of controlled, high-speed execution that underpins his long-term ambition of challenging Tadej Pogacar at the Tour de France later this summer.
The course itself offered no climbing brutality, but the demands were clear. Precision, pacing and discipline mattered more than raw elevation gain, and Evenepoel made it clear afterwards that the team arrived with a defined plan.
“It was not a hard course in terms of elevation, but a team time trial is always tough,” he said in a post-race interview with Cycling Pro Net. “We had a pretty structured plan and it turned out well, so I think we have to be happy.”
Headwind, timing and control
The decisive phase came after the turnaround, where a sustained headwind and a late kicker reshaped the effort. Evenepoel acknowledged that this was always where the race would be decided, regardless of small time losses earlier on.
“We knew the way back was going to be the most important part, with the headwind and the small kicker at around three kilometres to go,” he explained. “That’s where we wanted to make the biggest difference, and I think we did.”
At the intermediate check, Red Bull trailed marginally, but the response was calm and calculated. Once the road turned back towards the finish, the Belgian drove the pace and helped stabilise a line-up that briefly looked vulnerable over the rise.
“Everybody knew we were going to go really paced until the U-turn, and then from there it was full gas,” Evenepoel said. “Winning is winning. It was a really fast team time trial, and I think we did it perfectly.”
Early signals for a bigger goal
The victory matters in its own right, but the wider significance lies in what it suggests about Evenepoel’s integration into his new environment. The Belgian stressed the morale boost of starting the season with a win alongside unfamiliar team-mates, particularly in a discipline that demands trust and cohesion.
“It’s pretty nice to start the season with a win, and also with the new teammates,” he said. “That’s good for morale.”
Asked whether the performance offered lessons for July, Evenepoel resisted drawing sweeping conclusions, but did not hide his satisfaction with how the team handled pressure when it mattered most.
“Every parcours is different, so it’s difficult to say what we can improve,” he said. “But what we did today was really close to perfection for this team time trial.”
That measured response fits the broader picture. This was not about fireworks or dominance, but about ticking an early box: structure, execution and collective strength all aligned on day one.
For Evenepoel and Red Bull, the Tour de France remains months away. But in Mallorca, the first step on that path looked, by his own admission, very close to perfect.
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Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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- I wouldn't classify it as a gift because the nasty consequences of taking it from Sepp would have been great and would persist and he knew it.flyer14-11-2026
- Ok. Tratnik's good and Red Bull's better so Tratnik may get what he wants.flyer14-11-2026
- Ok. So just saying he wasn't enjoying racing anymore is some kind of explanation? Me saying I don't enjoy his explanation is more explaining than he did.flyer14-11-2026
- Buitrago, was he their best rider in 2026? He's the chief loss for them and Martinez and Tiberi (especially) have to step up or they will be overtaken by Bahrain's younger riders like Omrzel. I'm still somewhat high on Martinez but Tiberi, after showing signs of promise, has fizzled. Bahrain still has a good team but they need to improve and exceed expectations. I'd be happy if Mohoric could manage to return to his better form for maybe one last year at least.flyer14-11-2026
- Hmmm, "... I just gained 30 seconds purely off the bike. Because it's really a big, big improvement compared to the previous bike". Is that marketing for Specialized or serious valid hype, or something in between? Very likely the former.flyer14-11-2026
- Nothing revelatory or controversial. Why do we have to report on Bruyneel's or Armstrong's thinking. It's a shame and enough that the Move's on TV and that people watch it .flyer14-11-2026
- Makes sense that training from home is a big asset or advantage but it's still remarkable that he can put in three quality majors and not pay some heavy price for the exertion. I wish he would have won that tour stage that his crash while leading allowed Carapaz the win. He's a darn good rider and teammate.flyer14-11-2026
- Sounds like we all agree with the over under exaggeration: "The German’s signing does not guarantee that Evenepoel will win the Tour in 2027. "flyer14-11-2026
- Seixas appears to be that good but if he isn't (an absolute rival to Pogacar) he would have plenty of company in rising stars that did not go on to fully meet the expectations of many. That Pogacar wasn't the greatest (as great) sooner can't be transposed onto another's development. It may be not that simple.flyer14-11-2026
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