“Thanks for only showing negative stuff” – Remco Evenepoel responds to fan incident at the Tour de France

The 2025 Tour de France got off to a rough start for Remco Evenepoel on Saturday. With 20 kilometers remaining in the opening stage, Jonas Vingegaard and Team Visma | Lease a Bike forced a split in the peloton, catching Evenepoel and his teammates off guard.

Tadej Pogacar and Vingegaard both made it into the front group and crossed the line ahead, while Evenepoel finished alongside Primoz Roglic, 49 seconds behind. It is not the end of the world by any means, but every second counts in the Tour, and this likely means that Evenepoel won’t be able to wear yellow after the time trial on stage 5 where he will be favourite.

Following the stage, a video began circulating online showing Evenepoel snapping at a young fan who had approached him near the team bus for an autograph. The rider appeared frustrated as he asked the child to step aside.

In response, Evenepoel addressed the incident on social media, “For everyone who is speaking or typing. I gave the boys (and +20 others) a signature or a selfie. After I rode on the rollers, recovered a bit and took a shower. I will never let young kids stand in the wind. Thanks for only showing negative stuff. Media.”