4 kilos lighter but just as sharp-tongued: Remco Evenepoel kicks off the Tour de France with a bang
CyclingThursday, 02 July 2026 at 23:16
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Follow us on GooglePress conferences for major stage races can sometimes feel a bit formulaic, but that’s usually not the case with Remco Evenepoel. Quite the opposite, in fact: after more than two months away from racing, the Belgian rider from Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe was in top form—both physically and mentally—in Barcelona. And he conducted himself with great professionalism, by the way.
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Anyone who saw Evenepoel walking into a small side room at the Sant Pau Recinte Modernista could tell right away that something was different. Speaking with colleagues from In de Waaier, Evenepoel revealed that he has indeed lost nearly four kilograms since Liège–Bastogne–Liège, but that his power output has remained more or less the same. 1 + 1 = 2, and in this case, that means less weight + the same power output = riding faster uphill.
Read more below the video!
The fact that we didn’t see Evenepoel in action after Liège was also related to that. “For me personally, it was the best decision not to race anymore after Liège–Bastogne–Liège. That way, I had plenty of time to prepare as thoroughly as possible. I also had to switch trainers after Liège, and that was a major reason for not competing in any more races afterward. That way, I could be sure that the collaboration with my new coach would go smoothly right from the start.”
"Everything actually went very smoothly; I did everything I could to be in the best possible shape. Now we'll have to wait and see if that was the right approach. Of course, it's easy to say that now; we won't know how it really turned out until after the Tour," says the Belgian, who now knows how things work.
Evenepoel on the team time trial and shared leadership
We’ll kick things off on Saturday in Barcelona with a team time trial, which should suit the three-time world time trial champion. “The biggest difference is that you’re dealing with a more technical aspect of riding with eight riders instead of just one. That’s obviously the most important thing to remember. With the new rules, I think it’s also a bit easier to divide up the tasks; after all, you can drop the heavier riders as soon as you start climbing.”
Evenepoel didn’t want to reveal too much about his exact position in the Red Bull train just yet. “You were at the training session, so if you look at the photos, you’ll probably see it. I’m not going to say anything more about it—you’ll see for yourselves. The starting order is the starting order, and the finishing order is the finishing order. We’re not going to give too much away beforehand.”
Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe is fielding two team leaders, who were both present at Thursday’s press conference: the outgoing Evenepoel and the somewhat introverted Lipowitz. While Evenepoel is completely in his element in front of the press, Lipowitz mostly sticks to scripted answers and remarks like “there isn’t much more to add.” When Lipowitz happened to say a little more than usual, Evenepoel even gave him an encouraging thumbs-up.
Ultimately, it all comes down to the bike. “We’ve known each other for a long time and have raced against each other many times, so I think we’re well prepared for this. We rode the Tour of Catalonia together, where Florian finished third overall and I finished fifth. I think there was one day back then when we had to work for each other and make a tactical adjustment or sacrifice. That worked out well, so as far as I’m concerned, there’s nothing else special to say about it.”
Read more below the photo!
Evenepoel claps back at the press ahead of the Tour de France
When a Dutch journalist then asks about Evenepoel’s personal goals, things heat up a bit. “It’s no coincidence that this question comes from a Dutch journalist. Winning a stage, for sure; winning the team time trial; and taking the yellow jersey on the first day—that’s our ambition as a team. And besides that—because I know where you’re going with this, you want to hear me say that I want to be on the podium and that Florian wants that too—of course we want to finish on the podium.”
"Whether it's with him or with myself: if we handle it the right way without wasting unnecessary energy, it's good for both of us and for the team. We both want to repeat what we’ve done in the past: finish on the podium behind Tadej and Jonas, and try to stay ahead of the rest as much as possible,” Evenepoel said in his interview.
A German journalist then wraps up by asking what the two want to learn from each other on a personal level, precisely because of their differences in personality. “That’s exactly why we don’t need to learn anything from each other, right? You just have to be yourself. It’s as if I were to ask you, ‘What do you want to learn from the other journalists here?’ Then you’d think the same thing: I am who I am.”
"That's exactly why we're starting with two team leaders; we have different strengths and do our own thing in our own way. In any case, I'm happy with who I am, so I wouldn't want to change that. I assume Florian is also happy with who he is and doesn’t want to change that either. It was a somewhat strange question, but anyway...”
And just like that, the 16 minutes with Evenepoel in Barcelona flew by!
Tom van der Salm (27) comes from the charming town of Zeilberg (Deurne) in the Netherlands and has been working as editor-in-chief & journalist at IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, In de Leiderstrui, since 2019. He travels with the peloton from the Tour de France to the AlUla Tour and from the World Championships in Rwanda or Canada to the Zilvermeercross in Mol. In his spare time he enjoys playing football, mountain biking, running, walking with his Labrador/Stabyhoun, investing, holidays, (specialty) beers, reading, cooking and watching sports & documentaries!
Contact: [email protected]
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Latest Comments
- - “Start order is the start order, finish order is the finish order.” Classic Remco. Cryptic but he’s clearly hiding their rotation plan. Good article.samanthak02-07-2026
- - ¿Alguien sabe si el reglamento del TTT cambió el número de corredores que cuenta para el tiempo? Me confundí con la última actualización. Gracias!pedalpowe2902-07-2026
- - Remco’s professionalism really shows here. Confident, slightly cheeky, and focused. Can’t wait for the TTT lines—who’s the anchor, Herregodts or Vlasov?andrewf02-07-2026
- - So he switched trainers after Liège and immediately went off-racing to adapt—smart periodisation. If the metabolic numbers hold, he’ll float on Montjuïc.julien02-07-2026
- - Lipowitz keeping it low-key while Remco handles the fireworks is actually perfect balance. They proved it at Catalunya—roles can switch on the fly. Podium behind Pog and Vinge is realistic, but I think they’ll try to crack second.jennifer1902-07-2026
- - Not sure the piece needed the jab at the Dutch journo. Felt a bit petty. Let the legs talk, not the press-room spice.sprocketspiny02-07-2026
- - Love the confidence. Stage win + TTT + yellow on day one is bold but believable with a three-time TT world champ leading the rotations. The train looked smooth in practice pics.lindae02-07-2026
- - Curious: when he says they can drop the heavier guys on the climb under the new TTT rules, does that mean they’re planning a negative split with climber pulls late? How many riders need to finish for the time now?tourdeforce902-07-2026
- - Remco dropping nearly 4kg while keeping the same watts is massive. W/kg bump right before a TTT opener in Barcelona? That’s a statement. Red Bull-BORA look dialed.breakawaybikerd02-07-2026
- - Vamos Jonas! Si mantiene la forma del Giro y clava la crono por equipos en Barcelona, puede vestir de jaune pronto.cadencekingm02-07-2026
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