"My Tour preparation has really started now” - Remco Evenepoel kicks off Tour de France preparation as he hunts down Pogacar and Vingegaard
Cycling
Remco Evenepoel has officially begun his preparation for the
2025 Tour de France, confirming over the weekend that his focus is now fully
locked in on July. The Belgian star completed a seventy-kilometre training ride
on Saturday, marking the start of his build-up for what promises to be one of
the most anticipated Grand Tours in recent memory.
"My Tour preparation has really started now," the
Soudal - Quick-Step leader declared, following a well-earned week off after a
mixed but encouraging return to competition.
Evenepoel’s 2025 season has been anything but smooth. A
crash with a van during training last Christmas meant the former world champion
was unable to start his campaign until April, a major setback that left
questions around how quickly he could find top form. But when he finally
returned, the Belgian made an instant impression.
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At Brabantse Pijl, Evenepoel stunned spectators with a
sprint victory over Wout van Aert, announcing his comeback in emphatic fashion.
He followed that up with a strong ride at Amstel Gold Race, where he finished
third, but perhaps more significantly, managed to reel in a solo attack from
Tadej Pogacar, something very few riders have done in recent years. Usually,
when Pogacar attacks, the race is over. Not this time.
Evenepoel then produced a more subdued performance at
Liège–Bastogne–Liège, a race he has previously won twice before, suggesting he
may still be chasing full sharpness. But he bounced back quickly, claiming a
stage victory at the Tour de Romandie to end his comeback block on a high.
Now, the focus turns to the Tour.
Can Evenepoel make it a three way fight for yellow?
In the lead-up to the Grand Départ in July, Evenepoel will
ride both Belgian national championships. The time trial will take place on 27
June in Brasschaat, and the road race follows two days later in Binche. These
will be key testing grounds for a rider who is still refining his form but has
already shown glimpses of world-class condition.
Last year, Evenepoel made a dazzling debut at the Tour de
France. He finished third overall, claimed a stage victory, and won the white
jersey as best young rider. He then followed it up with double Olympic gold and
another time trial world title, a statement season that confirmed his status as
one of the sport’s biggest names.
The question now is: can he reach those same heights again
in 2025? And perhaps more challengingly, can he close the gap to Tadej Pogacar
and Jonas Vingegaard?
Evenepoel’s return to racing this spring suggests he’s not
far off. The ability to match Pogacar at Amstel, win stages, and remain
consistent despite a late start to the season points to a rider whose ceiling
is once again climbing.
As the Tour approaches, all eyes will be on his final steps
of preparation. With national championships, altitude training, and renewed
focus on France, Remco Evenepoel is back in business, and ready to take on the
sport’s toughest challenge once more.
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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- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
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