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Follow us on GoogleRemco Evenepoel was there after all. Despite being trapped on Mount Teide during the final days of his altitude camp in Tenerife because of snow, the Belgian still made it to the start of the Tour of Catalonia. And in the opening stage, the Red Bull–BORA–hansgrohe rider immediately showed that he needed no time at all to settle in, finishing second right away.
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Evenepoel had already predicted before the start that he would probably not win the first stage, with its hilly finale and long uphill sprint. In fact, he even named the rider he expected to beat him. “It’s an extended sprint of almost 800 metres. It’s not a pure sprint, so some punchy riders can do really well there too. Then I’m thinking of Dorian Godon of INEOS Grenadiers, because he is very strong.”
That prediction proved spot on. The French champion was indeed the fastest, although only by millimetres ahead of Evenepoel’s wheel. The Belgian had also foreseen that he could still be in the mix at the finish. “We can compete, because before the final descent we also need to be near the front. I’ll definitely try, even though I’m not the fastest rider in the peloton. But it is a long effort.”
In a brief analysis with VTM, Evenepoel was barely disappointed that he could not come around Godon. “Godon countered me, but then I came back again. It was close all the way to the line and I can’t really blame myself for anything. I launched from a long way out, but everyone who has won here did it that way. Godon just had a little bit more left.”
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Evenepoel arrived in Catalonia with some stress
Before the start of stage 1, Evenepoel also spoke about the travel issues that had overshadowed the end of his training camp. On the day of Milan-Sanremo, the Belgian was still stuck on Mount Teide in Tenerife because of snow and bad weather. So how did he eventually get down from the snow-covered mountain? “In the end it was actually quite simple, with a police escort.”
Evenepoel laughed when reflecting on the situation. “After ten minutes of driving, the road was already dry and super clean, so in the end it was a lot of stress for nothing. We managed to get here, and that’s the most important thing.”
According to the Belgian, the weather barely affected the work he had planned over the previous weeks. “My preparation was very good. I had a good time in Tenerife. Good training, a good atmosphere — first I had one week with Primoz, and then another two with Florian. Everything went smoothly, so it should be good enough to perform well this week.”
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Bram van der PloegEditor-in-chief
Bram van der Ploeg (35) is the proud founder of In de Leiderstrui, IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, launched in 2018. Finally, he could create stories about the sport he had followed since childhood. He is the editor-in-chief on paper, but prefers to be with his recorder next to a rider, a team bus, or in the mud at a cyclocross race. Every year, from February to the end of May, Bram follows the entire Italian cycling season, from the Trofeo Laigueglia to the Giro d'Italia, with the grand finale in October in Lombardy. During that time, he lives in Tuscany, where he has since come to call Italy his 'home'.
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Latest Comments
- Eight riders told to go for stages, and nobody gets one—hard to know what the plan was there. It’ll be interesting to see whether they pick a clear leader next time.bikebuffj10-11-2026
- Was Bernal’s 20th place really their best GC result? I thought he might have finished higher. Either way, it sounds like a rough Tour for the whole team.gearguru3310-11-2026
- Five days in breaks with no stage win is a painful stat. The team had chances, but they need to turn those opportunities into results.julien10-11-2026
- The Onley Vuelta example makes sense: a team with someone to rally around often looks much more cohesive. Hopefully INEOS can build on that rather than expecting a quick return to the Sky years.cadencekingm10-11-2026
- Thomas is right about the ambiguity. Eight riders all chasing stages can end up pulling in different directions, even if nobody’s deliberately working against anyone. They need a clearer plan once the GC leaders are out.robert6510-11-2026
- What a mess. The report makes it sound as though nobody properly explained the decision, and that’s hard to defend.jennifer1910-11-2026
- I’m still learning the rules: does moving left in a sprint automatically bring a penalty, or does it depend on whether the other rider is blocked? It sounds like Brand wasn’t impeded here.patriciaw10-11-2026
- A final decision still needs a proper explanation. If the federation’s complaint goes nowhere, I hope the officials at least review how they handled the riders afterwards.michael5410-11-2026
- Fair play to Lucinda for saying Marie had won fair and square. That kind of sportsmanship matters, especially after such a controversial decision.raceready710-11-2026
- Schreiber beat Brand on the road, so the jury needed to explain clearly why that slight deviation warranted relegation. Being cut off before she could give her account sounds appalling.lindae10-11-2026
