"Pogi not starting" - Remco Evenepoel has the perfect ending to the Tour de France, but a victory depends on Pogacar's absence
CyclingSaturday, 25 July 2026 at 18:42
Remco Evenepoel has reached the finish line of stage 20 as the first of the overall classification riders - who had ridden in the peloton. It was an to the Tour's most difficult phase with the best legs he showed all race long, virtually sealing second place in the overall classification. However to win the Grand Boucle, it doesn't depend on him much.
Evenepoel virtually confirms best-ever Tour de France result
Evenepoel withstood the pace of Tadej Pogacar on the Col du Galibier and then on the Col de Sarenne he contributed into the acceleration that saw Paul Seixas get dropped. His second place on the queen stage never looked to be at risk after he showed good legs; and the stage win was the only thing that could still be achieved.
Evenepoel was joined by UAE duo Pogacar and Del Toro on the plateau after the Col de Sarenne, and on the final climb he pushed on. The Mexican couldn't follow him, and with Pogacar waiting for his teammate, the Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe rider arrived to Alpe d'Huez by himself.
"We are not in Paris yet. We still have one more stage to go," Evenepoel said in a post-race interview. "But yes, I am extremely happy to finish the mountains with such a good day today."
"I was a little disappointed not to take the stage win in the end because we came really close. But that is my mentality. I always aim for the highest possible result and try to win. I did everything I could".
Remco Evenepoel is on track to finish second at the Tour de France
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Evenepoel can only win the Tour de France is Pogacar is not present
Evenepoel's consistency sees him go into Paris with a second place, is best ever at the Tour. He won two stages, including beating Tadej Pogacar on the Plateau de Solaison. After in 2024 he finished third, he now tops that result with an even more impressive result - following a tailor-made preparation that proved to be perfect.
"I finished twenty seconds behind the stage winner, but I am second in the general classification, with two stage wins and several second and third places. So yes, it has been a very good Tour. I am very happy for myself and for the team."
"I also need to thank everyone around me, including my family and the staff members who helped me achieve this. I am extremely happy,"
Evenepoel has shown once again that he is capable of winning the Tour de France, but above all that depends on his competition. Jonas Vingegaard withdrew from the race due to a crash on stage 15, but taking the maillot jaune depends on the absence of this year's winner: "Pogi not starting. For the next few years, I think it is, unfortunately."
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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- Pogačar could have had 7 or 8 wins in this Tour, instead leaves with "only" 5, as well as the loyalty of del Toro and his other teammates, who see what he did and why he did it. Leadership doesn't always mean winning everything, and it surely means something when it's obvious that he could have won, and did not. Del Toro being ill (and hiding it well enough to prevent further attacks) and Pogaċar sticking with him is a kind of loyal leadership that will have very long term effects on the team. This is what he does, this is who he is, and this is how he has the team that enables him to succeed.RidesHills25-07-2026
- Sad part is that the knuckle heads are allowed to breed. They should be taken to one side and neutered.
Andrew25-07-2026 - "He won two stages, including beating Tadej Pogacar on the Plateau de Solaison." This is true, but at the same time false. ;)MajorPayne25-07-2026
- "Evenepoel has shown once again that he is capable of winning the Tour de France" WTF?? Shown what? Capable of winning if Jonas and Tadej don't finish! OMG! We knew that before.MajorPayne25-07-2026
- He does have a habit of wanting to win stages on which he’s been beaten. There’s no Wout van Aert to stick with him on the third hard kick of Montmartre this time. Maybe Remco, Mads, Matthieu? Might be fun.RidesHills25-07-2026
- yeah, they estimate 10 to 12 million people line the roads during the race. odds are a couple knuckleheads will get into it. I've seen it at small high school events in the USA, so sadly this is no surprise. wish it wasn't so though.mij25-07-2026
- those crashes were terrible to watch, especially the second. gutted for Sepp. The way Carapaz was riding, it isn't certain that Sepp would have held on, but hate seeing it decided this way. Other than the TTT, what a cursed Tour for Visma. Really wanted to see more of a battle.mij25-07-2026
- Or maybe it's more likely that he was saving it for tomorrow. ;)MajorPayne25-07-2026
- But…Jonas wasn’t there. And now UAE has two riders on the podium, both the Yellow and White jerseys, and Pogacar helped his good friend. Pogi’s teammates love him for good reason: he enjoys helping them succeed as well.DAS25-07-2026
- Stoked for Carapaz. love the way he always goes for it and is willing to risk it all for the win.mij25-07-2026
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