"Losing that weight can be dangerous" - Alberto Contador warns Remco Evenepoel of the risks of his Tour de France gamble
Cycling
For Remco Evenepoel, finishing on the final podium at the Tour de France is no longer enough this year. That's why the Belgian is reportedly in much better shape for the Grande Boucle preparation race, according to his team Soudal - Quick-Step.
At the Criterium du Dauphiné 2025, the Belgian weighs 1.5 kg less than the state in which he arrived at the event last year. This was confirmed by the chief physical trainer of the team Koen Pelgrim as well as the cyclist himself. However Alberto Contador points out that doesn't have to be all positive.
"Caution. From one year to the next, losing that weight for the Tour de France is dangerous, unless he has lost muscle tone in the upper body and that's why he has been able to cut two kilos there. In the lower body it's complicated that he has cut so much," Contador said during his commentary of the second stage on Eurosport.
Remco Evenepoel prepares for the Tour de France in Dauphiné
For the Spanish cycling legend, it's easy to fall into the trap of believing that by fine-tuning your body you'll go better in the three weeks of the Tour de France:
"Most of us have made that mistake at some point. As you get older, you think a little more, it costs you even more, the metabolism becomes slower... and at a certain point you reach an incredible weight, where you've never been, the body comes and bursts," added Alberto Contador.
A very dangerous road for Evenepoel
The course that Remco Evenepoel and Soudal - Quick-Step are riding may be too dangerous. Contador concluded his remarks with a serious final warning:
"Forget about the Tour de France if that happens, and if it happens to you at the beginning of the season, almost the whole year. I know of other very important riders to whom it has happened before," the Spaniard finished.
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses 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.
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