"This UAE Tour means absolutely nothing" - Tom Dumoulin questions criticism of Remco Evenepoel after mixed start to the year

There has been a lot of discourse surrounding Remco Evenepoel following his start to the season; but mainly his UAE Tour performance. Whilst most has been negative following the Emirati race, Tom Dumoulin argues that this was not overly worrying and that the Belgian is in the right path to try and battle with Tadej Pogacar and Remco Evenepoel later in the season.

Evenepoel took two victories at the Challenge Mallorca with utter dominance, and then carried that form over close to his second home in the Comunitat Valenciana. There, he won the race's time trial and also the queen stage finishing in Teulada, which prioritized the shorter and more explosive efforts. When it comes to that, the Belgian's form looked on point and with a very high level that promise a lot ahead of the Ardennes classics.

However in the longer efforts, the UAE Tour revealed fragility. What looked to be like poor recovery at first into the stage towards Jebel Mobrah proved to be a difficult week where he simply didn't have the level to contest for victory, as the ascent to Jebel Hafeet only merely saw him climb into the race's Top10.

However, does the UAE Tour overshadow what the Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe achieved during the start of the season? "The headlines were full of it, even though he won the first six races. Then there's a small headline, and now it's almost world news. People are even asking if the Tour is still feasible. What are we talking about," Tom Dumoulin questions in the NOS podcast.

It is not the first time Evenepoel displays large variations in form. In past years, it looked apparent that his pure climbing abilities would not shine through in the same way as those of Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard; but rather they come as a result of specific work, altitude camps and controlled weight loss. In 2024, he looked very strong at the start of the Criterium du Dauphiné also with a stage win; but ultimately dropped down to 7th in the GC throughout the mountain stages. The next month, with his preparation complete, he rode to the podium of the Tour de France.

However, what the UAE Tour shows is that there are cracks in his armour, and anything less than a perfect performance at the Tour de France can throw him off the podium in a highly competitive field. Dumoulin believes that Red Bull - BORA is also going to be able to provide better support. "I think he's better suited there as a GC rider; he has better support and riders around him. Ultimately, he'll have to compete head-to-head against Pogacar and Vingegaard."

As to what conclusions can be taken from the UAE Tour, the former time trial World Champion doesn't make much of it. "Then you can ask whether he's good enough for that uphill, as he's already made plenty of mistakes. This UAE Tour means absolutely nothing to me, but what he's shown in recent years certainly does. He needs to make a step uphill," he concluded.