Results Trofeo Ses Salines 2026 | Remco Evenepoel launches new Red Bull era with dramatic team time trial victory

The first competitive outing of Remco Evenepoel in the colours of Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe could scarcely have been more revealing.

On a flat, exposed team time trial course in southern Mallorca, Red Bull edged Movistar Team by just four seconds to win the Trofeo Ses Salines, delivering an immediate statement on day one of Evenepoel’s new chapter following his winter move from Soudal - Quick-Step.

The German squad stopped the clock at 23:55.8, averaging over 59.4 km/h, overturning a late Movistar benchmark and securing victory in a race where execution, cohesion and nerve proved decisive.

From the moment Red Bull rolled down the start ramp, Evenepoel’s role was unmistakable. Rather than being sheltered on debut, he immediately assumed responsibility, taking long, forceful turns as the pace rose through the opening kilometres.

That commitment came with visible consequences. As the speed remained relentlessly high, Red Bull were gradually reduced to the minimum four riders required for the time to count. Evenepoel was seen checking behind him in the closing kilometres as the group thinned, before driving the tempo again to stabilise the formation and recover lost speed.

Earlier in the afternoon, Team Jayco AlUla had laid down the first elite reference at 24:12.6, only for Movistar to raise the bar dramatically. Saving their best for the headwind-affected return leg, the Spanish squad stormed to the line in 23:59.5, briefly appearing to have secured the win.

Red Bull’s response was uncompromising. Digging deep in the final kilometres, they clawed back the deficit where it mattered most, edging Movistar by 3.7 seconds in one of the closest finishes the race has seen.

Behind the leading pair, Jayco AlUla completed the podium in third, while UAE Team Emirates - XRG finished fourth on 24:14.1, unable to recover from time lost earlier in the effort. Tudor Pro Cycling Team followed just fractions further back in fifth.

For Evenepoel, the Trofeo Ses Salines offered far more than a line in the results. It was a first public data point of how this new Red Bull project intends to function. He was central, proactive, and entrusted with leadership immediately.

The margins were razor-thin, and the victory came at a visible cost, but as opening chapters go, this was instructive rather than definitive. A statement made, a benchmark set, and an early reminder that if Evenepoel is to take the next step and challenge Tadej Pogacar later this summer, precision and depth will matter just as much as raw power.

A new era has begun, and it started at full speed.