“Not sure we’ll make it” – Remco Evenepoel stranded on Teide as key Tour de France test and Vingegaard showdown hangs in the balance

Remco Evenepoel’s carefully structured build towards the 2026 Tour de France has hit an unexpected and potentially significant disruption, with the Belgian currently stranded on Mount Teide following heavy snowfall that has cut off access to and from his altitude camp.

The Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe rider had been finalising a key training block in Tenerife ahead of the Volta a Catalunya, a race widely viewed as his first real climbing benchmark of the season. Instead, uncertainty now surrounds whether he will even make it to the start line.

That uncertainty was laid bare in a series of Instagram stories posted by his wife, Oumi, who is with him at the camp. “Not sure we’ll make it,” she wrote, as the couple remained stuck for a second consecutive day. In a follow-up, she added: “We’re stuck up on Teide for the 2nd day because of the snow… no one can go up or down.”

With roads blocked on the volcano and no clear route to the airport, Evenepoel’s travel plans have been thrown into doubt at precisely the wrong moment in his early-season programme.

The timing of the disruption is what elevates this beyond a simple travel issue.

The Volta a Catalunya was not just another stage race on Evenepoel’s calendar. Featuring multiple summit finishes in the Pyrenees, it was set to provide the clearest indication yet of where his climbing level stands in 2026. It also offered the prospect of a direct head-to-head with Jonas Vingegaard, one of the defining GC references in the peloton.

That combination made Catalunya a pivotal checkpoint in Evenepoel’s evolution as a Tour contender. After a winter focused on structure, efficiency and long-term development within his new Red Bull setup, this was the moment to measure progress in terrain that has previously exposed his limits. Now, that opportunity is at risk of slipping away before it even begins.

The importance of Catalunya has only grown in light of Evenepoel’s most recent outing.

At the UAE Tour, he delivered a familiar display of dominance in the time trial, taking control of the race early and underlining once again his status as one of the sport’s most powerful riders against the clock.

But the narrative shifted sharply in the mountains. On the decisive climb, he was distanced and lost significant time, later acknowledging, “I can’t make excuses.”

For a rider whose Tour ambitions hinge on matching the very best in sustained climbing efforts, that performance left a clear and unavoidable question: has the gap truly been closed? Catalunya was set up as the first meaningful attempt to answer it.

Evenepoel’s move to Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe was built around one central objective: turning potential into a complete Tour de France challenge.

That shift has brought a more controlled, team-driven approach to his racing, with altitude camps and carefully selected stage races forming part of a long term plan rather than isolated targets. The Teide training block was a key piece of that structure, designed to build endurance and sharpen his climbing ahead of a critical phase of the season.

Instead, the situation has underlined how quickly even the most meticulously planned programme can be thrown off course. Snowfall at altitude camps is not unheard of, but the severity of the current conditions and the complete closure of access roads represent a rare and disruptive scenario.

Whether Evenepoel ultimately makes it to Catalunya or is forced to adjust his schedule, the episode introduces an element of uncertainty into what had been a controlled and deliberate start to his 2026 campaign.

And with his first true mountain test of the season hanging in the balance, the wider question of where he stands ahead of the Tour may have to wait a little longer to be answered.