“Remco certainly won’t be unhappy” - Red Bull react as 2027 Tour hands Evenepoel most time-trial kilometres since 2012
Cycling
Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe boss Ralph Denk has welcomed the time-trial opportunities awaiting Remco Evenepoel at the 2027 Tour de France, where 71km against the clock will give the Belgian more scope to exploit his strongest discipline. Evenepoel will approach the race after finishing runner-up to Tadej Pogacar in his first season with the team.
“Remco is the best time triallist at the moment, so he certainly won’t be unhappy,” Denk told VTM NIEUWS following the route presentation. “But in my view, this is certainly not an easy Tour in terms of climbing.”
Two individual time trials, a 38km stage from Blois to Chambord and a 33km test around Toulouse, provide the Tour’s highest individual total since 2012. Both precede the final Pyrenean stages, where the Col du Portet and the road to Laruns await.
Remco Evenepoel and Tadej Pogacar after the 2026 Tour de France
More opportunities for the world champion
Evenepoel ended his 2026 season unbeaten in individual time trials, taking four victories and becoming the first man to win four consecutive elite world titles in the discipline. His fourth rainbow jersey brought him level with Fabian Cancellara and Tony Martin’s record haul, alongside the Olympic time-trial title he won in Paris.
He has also won an individual time-trial stage in each of his three Tour appearances. The 2027 programme increases the distance from the 26.1km individual test in 2026, when the race also featured an opening team time trial in Barcelona.
“It looks good. Plenty of opportunities for sprinters, some stages for puncheurs, three summit finishes... There’s something for every type of rider,” Denk said.
Blois–Chambord comes on stage seven, before the first mountain finish on the Grand Colombier. Its flat course takes the race past the chateaux of Blois, Chambord and Cheverny.
The Toulouse test follows the final rest day on stage 16, with the Cote de Pech David included alongside stretches by the Garonne.
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Red Bull target the best possible result
Evenepoel’s second place in 2026 improved on the third he achieved on his Tour debut in 2024. Having abandoned the 2025 edition in the Pyrenees, he returned to the podium with Red Bull, finishing 6:26 behind Pogacar.
“Our aim is to fight for the best possible result, but we still need to analyse it in detail,” Denk said.
The first major climbing tests arrive well before the final week. The Grand Colombier hosts a summit finish on stage nine, followed after a rest day by the mountain stages towards Sallanches and Les Saisies. Montpellier–Mende adds another demanding day in the second week.
After the Toulouse time trial, a flatter stage to Pau separates Evenepoel and his rivals from the Tourmalet and Col du Portet on stage 18. The following day’s route from Hasparren to Laruns includes the Basque climbs before Soudet and Marie-Blanque.
The last mountain stage falls on 23 July, with Maubourguet–Libourne and the Paris finale completing the race.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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