“Talk’s cheap, but when you back it up fair play” – Geraint Thomas amazed by Evenepoel’s time trial
Cycling
Stage 5 of the 2025 Tour de France saw Remco Evenepoel lay
down a statement of intent, winning the individual time trial as most experts
expected him to. The Belgian delivered on his pre-race confidence, gaining
significant time over key rivals. Tadej Pogacar came closest, just 16 seconds
back, while defending champion Jonas Vingegaard lost over a minute.
“I believe I can do this. I can take time on him. I can take
the jersey. I can take 50 seconds on Vingegaard,” Evenepoel had said the night
before. “And then he just goes out there and does it,” said Luke Rowe on the
Watt’s Occuring podcast. “Talk's cheap, innit? But when you back it up, fair
play.”
Thomas, who rode the TT without full commitment, said he
started with decent legs and was initially ahead of his pacing plan. But with
no feedback from his team car at the time checks, he assumed he was out of
contention and backed off.
“I must be miles down now,” he recalled thinking. “There’s
no point in going half 11 coming in 20th.” He eventually eased off further with
10km to go, aware that he wouldn’t beat the leading time.
Despite the disappointment, he found value in the ride: “It
did me good just to get that sort of bit of hit out in… nice course… typical TT
course… big wide open plains… flags blowing in the wind.”
Evenepoel’s win was expected by many, but Pogacar’s
performance raised eyebrows given how he had struggled in the TT during the
Dauphine. “Pog was close, man,” Thomas said. “Sixteen seconds off him… that’s a
hell of a ride by Pog.” Still, Evenepoel’s ability to back up his bold
predictions drew the most respect.
“Significantly slower in the corners than Pogy… so what was
he doing on the straights?” Rowe asked.
Vingegaard, meanwhile, now finds himself over a minute down
in the overall standings, a major early deficit. “I thought he would do
slightly better… not a minute,” Thomas admitted.
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Eduardo Affini also earned praise for his third-place ride.
“Worked for the team for four days… then bam, opportunity for himself,” Rowe
said. “That was solid.”
Thomas and co-host Luke Rowe eventually awarded “Chappo of
the Day” jointly to Evenepoel and Affini. “Remco was the strong favorite. He
executed, delivered,” Rowe said. “Afini, nice guy, solid ride, and he's done a
lot for the team.”
Looking ahead, Thomas hinted that Stage 6 could be his
chance to go on the attack. “G and the breakaway,” said Rowe. “That’s what I’d
say.” Thomas agreed: “Yeah, tomorrow I think it’s got a chance.”
The course could favor a break, but with UAE holding the
yellow jersey, Pogacar’s team may still want to keep things under control.
“They’ll want to save the boys a bit… keep it relatively close… hope that
somebody else helps chase,” Thomas said.
Beyond tactics, Thomas also reflected on the intense stress
of modern Tour racing. “Nobody touches their brakes… it’s like a game of
chicken,” he said. “You’re doing 70, 80k an hour and everyone’s just fighting
for position… it’s just not worth it.”
Asked whether this was just age catching up with him, Thomas
was clear: “Everyone’s saying it during the race as well. But everyone’s just
like, ‘Well, I’ve got to do it cos he’s doing it.’”
He admitted the mental toll was significant. “You’re just
thinking, ‘I need a caffeine shot cuz I need someone to g me up for this.’”
Despite the challenges, the Welshman remains determined.
“Still got engines here. We can still do that,” he said. “We either line up
next time or gamble again and just roll with it.”
As the GC battle heats up and the breakaways become more
valuable, Thomas will look to turn experience into opportunity. “You’ve got
that yellow jersey hanging up at home,” he was reminded by his old mate Luke
Rowe. “Still hurts when you get dropped,” Thomas replied, laughing.
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
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- guess what Valgren, you're 34, and no you're not good enough. sorry to say.mij14-11-2026
- I'm a sepp fan and like to think he earned that LOL, indulge me : ) I think Jonas was fine. Roglic did not want to concede to Sepp. and I don't think you ever attack your own teammate in the leaders jersey if he is holding his own, which Sepp just about was.mij14-11-2026
- enough time? he's 24 years old. He's won 10 races over the last 2 years and some are significant. I won't argue about his attitude being good - it needs to improve. But with some coaching and mentorship he has a lot of winning ahead of him and has plenty of time to win a GT. I don't think he will ever beat Tadej, but everyone else is fair game Look at Mas and Valverde - they were 31 and 29, respectively, when they won the Vuelta.mij14-11-2026
- Pogacar has a fine head on his shoulders.Careful investments and a couple of coffee shops sounds like a wonderful way to chill after an intense career.Stay healthy GOAT.
Brucegel14-11-2026 - I live in Maribor.PogiSloFans14-11-2026
- I live in Ljubljana and often go on trips in the surrounding area, where I frequently see young cyclists in 'Pogi Team' jerseys training, either alone or in groups. By simply motivating so many young people to take up cycling, Tadej has already achieved something truly significant.Velijo14-11-2026
- That's an excellent point. It's interesting that Vader came to that realization only after he learned that his contract wasn't going to be renewed.
santiagobenites14-11-2026 - Indeed! A reluctant gift maybe. Even more reluctant gift from Roglic! Tho I can’t see that Rog would have beaten Ving anyway.Lozza14-11-2026
- That really nasty crash in 2022 Liege must have played a big part - broken ribs, pneumothorax. You only have to look at his points tallies pre and post.Lozza14-11-2026
- Yeah, good luck getting tv and race organisers like ASO etc to part with their cash!Lozza14-11-2026
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