Jose de Cauwer believes Pogacar & Vingegaard's yearly Tour de France battle may soon have a third wheel: "You have to add Evenepoel to that"

For the third straight year, the battle for the Maillot Jaune has come down to a fight between Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar at the 2023 Tour de France. According to Jose de Cauwer however, there could soon be a third rider added into contention.

"You have to add Evenepoel to that," says de Cauwer as part of Sporza's Tour de France recap and review after Vingegaard made it 2-1 in the head-to-head battle with Pogacar. "We especially hope that he can offer resistance to them. We have not seen that yet. He can also drive such powers, but then you will not win the Tour. It is about a wider range."

For Evenepoel to stand a chance in a battle with the likes of Pogacar and Vingegaard however, de Cauwer feels a more time-trial-friendly course may be needed than what we've seen this year. "More time trials? ASO should consider whether it organizes a Tour for riders around 60 kg or can there also be riders who weigh a little more? Will it remain a climbers race?" He asks.

"There is a difference with how it works. What kind of cycling do you want? A type like Miguel Indurain, five-time overall winner, should no longer come to the Tour with his 75 kg, hey," de Cauwer continues, before explaining why Evenepoel. "He is multilingual and not many Tour winners have also been world champions."