“Remco is above that” – Soudal – Quick-Step reveal more about Remco Evenepoel’s disastrous Tour de France

Remco Evenepoel’s withdrawal from the Tour de France came after a tough stretch in the Pyrenees, but the full story only emerged days later. Despite a stage win in the time trial, the 25-year-old Belgian never looked like the rider who’s won the Vuelta, claimed a world title, and captured Olympic gold twice. His early exit left many puzzled, until Evenepoel revealed he had started the race with a broken rib and was not fully healthy after a difficult inner. That delay in disclosure raised questions, but according to his team, it wasn’t a calculated move.

"It's not unusual not to say something like that when you're in the Tour," said Soudal – Quick-Step boss Tom Steels to Sporza. "We'd already experienced it with Dan Martin in the Tour. He didn't want to dwell on his broken rib."

"You don't ride the Tour as preparation. Here, you have to and want to perform. Something like that just blocks your mind. But of course, his rib was broken, yes."

"Some things you can overcome," Steels added. "A break like that is never ideal. It's annoying and it has an impact, but sometimes you just want to block it out."

As for why Evenepoel didn’t disclose the injury when he pulled out, Steels wasn’t quick to criticize. "It's no excuse, and in the Tour everything is merciless," he said. "There's always polarization, but Remco is above that. And a rider still has the freedom to decide what he says or doesn't say."

Evenepoel broke his silence on social media, revealing, "Just before the Tour, there was another crash. During the national championships, I broke another rib," he said. "Not the worst, but certainly not ideal. So I started the toughest race in the world with a broken rib and a tired body. Not an ideal combination. But I didn't want to let go of my goal, which I had fought so hard for."