Remco Evenepoel believes a sprint can decide first Tour de France: "I don't think there will be any real attacks from the GC contenders"
Cycling
Remco Evenepoel dreams of a Top5 and stage win at this year's Tour de France, his first appearance in the race. It is a race that starts off immediately with a difficult day but the Belgian believes that rather than a GC fight, he expectes a sprinter to take on the first yellow jersey.
"It can start. That it's warm? Yes, but I have to finish this race. I can't easily get in the car for half an hour, you know," Evenepoel told Sporza this morning. "I have to drink a lot and put ice on. Everyone expects the key to be with UAE Emirates today, but that's not a certainty. They benefit from a hard race to then explode in the final." Riders struggle with the very hot conditions over the Appeninnes and with 3800 meters of climbing on the menu there is certainly space for a lot to happen on the opening day of the Tour.
Evenepoel is even a rider that can benefit from such conditions, as it is a very treacherous day where a lot can happen in the finale. Soudal - Quick-Step had bad news at the start of the day with Jan Hirt suffering injuries outside of the race, but Evenepoel himself comes into the race with good form after a training camp where he reportedly lost some weight ahead of the Tour.
On stage 1 he shares his opinions on what the outcome of the day could be. With Jonas Vingegaard's unknown form, some believe UAE Team Emirates may test him right from the start of the race. "I don't think there will be any real attacks from the GC contenders on the last climb because of the distance to the finish," Evenepoel argues. "That's why I've been saying for a few days that Mads Pedersen is a big contender for me.
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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.
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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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Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - He is boring
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parisbound0008-11-2026 - there needs to be space in life for pointless comments!Ketterechts08-11-2026
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