"This shows that my career goal shouldn't be abandoned and that I can still hope" - Remco Evenepoel won't give up Tour de France dream
CyclingSunday, 26 July 2026 at 18:07
Remco Evenepoel believes this Tour de France has re-affirmed his belief that he can achieve his biggest career goal and his yellow jersey dream will roll on. The Belgian rider arrives at the Champs-Elysees second place in the general classification after a strong Tour showing.
Evenepoel has two stage wins to show for his La Grand Boucle, taking a mountain-top finish on stage 15 and following it up the following stage with a dominant time trial win. The 26-year-old showed consistent form and a high level in the high mountains as he bettered his third place finish in 2024.
Despite currently lying some 6:26 adrift from yellow jersey ahead of the final stage, Evenepoel still proved much stronger from the rest of GC favourites and solidified his status as a genuine grand tour favourite for the future.
Evenepoel won the 2022 Vuelta a Espana but has struggled with consistency in grand tours throughout his storied career. Reflecting on a strong Tour, Evenepoel is satisfied with his performance and achievement - summing up that he can still dream of being on the top step in Paris.
“My goal coming here to the Tour was to win at least one stage and get on the podium,” Evenepoel said.
Evenepoel achieves his 2026 Tour goals but dreams bigger
“In the end, I came away with two stage wins and a podium, a second place, which is better than my third place in 2024. I'm very happy and I think this shows that my career goal shouldn't be abandoned and that I can still hope, one day, to win all the Grand Tours. Only the future will tell, but for now, I'm very happy with the last three weeks and everything I've achieved.”
Much was said about the Red bull - BORA Hansgrohe rider's approach - not racing for over two months and focusing on a training-only programme in the lead-up. it certainly paid off for him, but he admitted that it could've been quite different after his first session in April.
“I definitely had some doubts. The first real training effort after Liège went really badly for me; I couldn't complete it. So I told my teammates that I was going to the Tour to win stages and not for the general classification, but they reassured me by telling me that there was time, that everything would be fine, and to keep believing in myself and doing my training.
"And now I have second place overall and two stages. So I also have to thank my teammates for restoring my self-confidence. Overall, it's good for my morale and also for my future plans.”
Read also
Belgian returns to Paris after Olympics triumph
Evenepoel returns to Paris after his 2024 Paris Olympics triumph as a favourite for a shortened but punchy stage. Evenepoel refused to get drawn into commenting on if he can attack and go for a third stage, but insisted his Tour is a success no matter what.
He added: "The memories of Paris 2024 are something I will cherish for the rest of my life. This is my second time racing in Paris, so we'll see how it goes. In the past it's gone well, so I hope to have a good final stage and try to be among the frontrunners to aim for victory.
"But I think that today, victory or not, won't change my Tour. But obviously it would also be a nice, big icing on an already beautiful cake .”
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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