"With Tadej, you saw uncertainty" - Remco Evenepoel's time trial put pressure on Tadej Pogacar, Fabian Cancellara argues
CyclingWednesday, 22 July 2026 at 15:46
The time trial of the Tour de France showed something that hadn't been seen before this edition: Tadej Pogacar being beaten and distanced by one of his direct rivals. Remco Evenepoel's victory on Lake Geneva was impressive and earned him praise from Fabian Cancellara.
Remco Evenepoel: The perfect time trialist
“He works hard, there is the will to work on the details. For that, there are also the right people around him," Cancellara said on Vive le Vélo. "The combination of a perfect posture and pure power, in particular, made an impression".
Cancellara is one of the few figures in the peloton that has major credentials when it comes to evaluating fellow time trialists. The Swiss ex-pro was a world champion in the discipline on four occasions; and an Olympic Champion in two occasions.
Hence, his words mean a lot. And when he looks at Evenepoel, he cotninues to see a rider that has a perfect time trial build. “He can make himself very small and has a superb position. Aerodynamically, he has the advantage, but you also have to be able to push. And he can do that; he is fast, you know.”
Aside from having the climbing legs and the form, the Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe simply has the ability to consistently use extremely aerodynamical positions on the bike. In time trials, where riders race individually in the wind, it becomes a massive advantage.
Remco Evenepoel won two stages already at the ongoing Tour de France
But this Tuesday's 26-kilometer long time trial had only a few flat time trialing kilometers. The Belgian's win came as a result also of his current superb form, and also extensive recons of the course which allowed him to also create differences on the descent.
“The strongest has won. It was a demonstration of strength, will, and fighting spirit from Remco. I didn’t expect it to be that clear, but Remco is Remco. If he wants something, he gets it. On those two days, you see a different Remco compared to before.”
The time gaps show it all. He won 28 seconds on Pogacar, cutting the gap to the yellow jersey; but most importantly put in 1:16 and 1:21 minutes on Paul Seixas and Isaac del Toro respectively, his main rivals in the for the final podium.
Evenepoel's Tour has looked almost perfect thus far, with the time trial following his victory on Plateau de Solaison, also ahead of Pogacar. “He is getting better, or the others are getting worse. We don't know,”
Did Pogacar look off?
A fair question to ask was if Pogacar did not have his best legs. It did not appear to be the case taking into consideration the time gaps he also put in on the rest of the competition; but once again it has been shown that he remains below the Belgian in the discipline.
“He (Evenepoel, ed.) wanted it more than anyone else; he had a different motivation. He looked very tough, like a badass boy. With Tadej, you saw uncertainty," Cancellara argued.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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- Maybe, if Ineos would invest in a few riders willing to ride as if they were in the last 3km sometimes… I think you have more important things to discuss than other teams’ misfortunes, missing the days of blogging already?Jumpyjohn22-07-2026
- Funny headline choice. I guess Isolated in a group of 36 leading sounds more dramatic than surrounded by his team in a trailing peloton. Yet for other GC contenders the big issue was that they missed getting into the lead group.Mistermaumau22-07-2026
- Afrikaans?Jumpyjohn22-07-2026
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- Hey Mistermause, Pogi and Torito will figure it out.mus-musculuspeedypogigonzales22-07-2026
- Thanks Andrew...I know I'm cool... LOL...mus-musculuspeedypogigonzales22-07-2026
- Usual suspectsMistermaumau22-07-2026
- So what happens to your mini Pog DT then?Mistermaumau22-07-2026
- Too many problems to solve over at MandisU to focus on cycling.Mistermaumau22-07-2026
- That’s kind of BS MM! You should inform yourself before spewing crap out. Maybe it wasn’t at the time yours was but they can’t do everyone simultaneously. The fact you got chosen is kind of proof the criteria aren’t as suspicious as some make out since neither you nor your team are particularly dangerous in any racing aspect. 150+ other riders also haven’t had 5am sessions, why pick out a single rider?Mistermaumau22-07-2026
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