"Sorry, Mathieu — but no friends for a moment” - Remco Evenepoel plays key role in denying Van der Poel heroic breakaway win on stage 9 of 2025 Tour de France

Mathieu van der Poel came so close to making it a second stage win of the 2025 Tour de France on Sunday afternoon's stage 9. After attacking from kilometre zero with Alpecin-Deceuninck teammate Jonas Rickaert, the Dutchman lasted all the way until the final kilometre before eventually been swallowed up by the sprinters.

In the finale, one of the riders tasked with helping to bring Van der Poel back was Soudal - Quick-Step's general classification hopeful Remco Evenepoel, with the 2nd on GC Belgian even pulling turns right at the front of the peloton. This work was rewarded too as his teammate Tim Merlier powered to the sprint win in Châteauroux.

“I’m absolutely delighted. Saturday’s disaster in the crosswinds is behind us. Our team already has three stage wins — it’s fantastic," reflected Evenepoel in a post-stage interview collected by Sporza at the finishing line. “It was a pretty chaotic day, with the wind and with Mathieu van der Poel riding incredibly strongly.“

Evenepoel and Van der Poel are known to be good friends, but when a stage win of the Tour de France is on the line, that all goes out the window momentarily. "I wanted to help Tim, and I managed to do that,” Evenepoel explains. "That’s the sport. I ride for Soudal–Quick-Step, not for Alpecin–Deceuninck. I’d told Tim beforehand: if the situation arose and I was there, I’d help him. Sorry, Mathieu — but no friends for a moment.”