"You can no longer hide – your legs will have to do the talking" - Remco Evenepoel prepared for biggest test yet at 2025 Tour de France

With 11 stages in the legs, it is time for the first potentially decisive day of the 2025 Tour de France. For Remco Evenepoel, it's the first time his climbing legs will really be tested against the likes of Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard.

"The first proper mountain stage is always a bit special. You can no longer hide – your legs and your power will have to do the talking," previews the Soudal - Quick-Step leader at the start of the day. "I expect a big fight early on to get into the day’s breakaway. Will Team Visma | Lease a Bike go all out from the start? If they do, they risk burning through a lot of energy for nothing."

"I need to try to reach the final two climbs as economically as possible," he adds. "That’s where Visma will likely ramp up the pace to make the group as small as they can. Then it’s all about survival to the finish line."

With Pogacar having gone down in a dramatic crash on stage 11, there is the possibility to test the Slovenian world champion. Evenepoel though, is looking to himself first and foremost. "That’s possible. But I mainly want to focus on myself and stay with the top contenders for as long as I can," he says of his tactics. "It’s clear the white and yellow jersey teams will dictate how the race unfolds today."

As noted by Soudal - Quick-Step DS Klaas Lodewyck, it's not all about the summit finish at Hautacam either. "The Col du Soulor shouldn’t be underestimated, but I think the final ascent will be the most challenging. That’s when the racing really heats up," he explains. "Remco is ready. He’s confident. We’re curious ourselves, to be honest. We’ve already tackled a few climbs in this Tour, but nothing of this magnitude."

"Yesterday’s stage was brutally fast, and now we’ve got a tough run of days ahead. We’ll see how his body holds up," Lodewyck concludes. "We’re not concerned about the white jersey at the moment. He just needs to come through each day safely and steadily. Just look at what happened to Pogačar yesterday – you never know. We'll see where we stand come the evening."