Evenepoel is riding his own race, as it turns out, after significant time loss: "All in all, it's been a positive day"
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Follow us on GoogleRemco Evenepoel losing 42 seconds is not typically a recipe for smiles in the always ambitious Belgian's camp. However, Friday at the Soudal-Quick Step camp was different. Evenepoel relinquished his yellow leader's jersey to Primoz Roglic in the sixth stage, but despite everything, he was quite satisfied with the day.
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"It was tough, a hard day. In the valley leading to the final climb, I felt my legs getting heavy, so I already knew it would be difficult to follow the best. After four or five kilometers, I said over the radio that I didn’t feel fresh anymore and that I had to find my own pace. I told Mikel Landa he could go for it, but he also dropped back quickly and then supported me up to the last kilometer. There, I went all-out for a good two minutes to limit the time loss," Evenepoel analytically tells Eurosport.
Evenepoel remains second in the GC after the sixth stage, although Roglic clearly proved superior in the mountains. With two more mountain stages over the weekend, this spells trouble for the Belgian, who is now 19 seconds behind the new leader of this Dauphiné. Third-place Matteo Jorgenson is still 39 seconds behind Evenepoel.
Evenepoel is making strides, but not there yet (by a long shot)
"We expected this, that I wouldn’t be at my best here," he emphasizes. "I need time to improve, but we are on the right track. Two weeks ago at altitude, I couldn't achieve the numbers I reached today for ten minutes. All in all, it's been a positive day; the time loss isn't the most important takeaway from today. I'm not going to blame my shoulder, which I fell on Thursday—this is just part of my journey to peak level. We have time, no reason for panic."
Laurens De Plus, who finished a solid sixth in the stage, tells Het Nieuwsblad that he knew Evenepoel wasn’t at his best for this Dauphiné. "He honestly told me that he hadn’t come to the start in top condition. But even then, he’s better than the rest. I knew he would perform in the time trial, but come up a bit short in the mountains. He is indeed in good form and thus on an upward trend towards the Tour. The fact that he’s losing time here? It’s not worrying, I think he had a good feeling and that he’s on schedule."
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
- - I’m still learning how cyclocross works: when he says he messed up the start at the Europeans, can a bad start really make that much difference?patriciaw14-11-2026
- - Love that he’s honest about the pressure. Hopefully he can carry this form through the winter.lindae14-11-2026
- - Beating different competition is the key now. Nys is already in the mix, and Van der Poel could make the next step a much tougher one.jennifer1914-11-2026
- - About time—Mason’s been knocking on the door for years. That Niel win could really open things up for him.cadencekingm14-11-2026
- I’m still learning how cyclocross works—does leading the Superprestige mean Mason is top of that race series, rather than the World Cup? Either way, winning in Belgium sounds like a massive result.cadencekingm13-11-2026
- Calling Onley a contender for an overall Tour win already feels a bit premature, especially after the injury setbacks. Still, the depth of talent is exciting.robert6513-11-2026
- Great to see Dickson’s route from triathlon to the WorldTour getting recognition. Scottish cycling has plenty to be proud of, and the 2027 Grand Départ could give the next generation a real lift.patriciaw13-11-2026
- The article makes a good case for clubs and small teams doing the groundwork, rather than one big development pipeline. Thornley’s Vuelta time trials were seriously impressive too; missing a stage win by two seconds is brutal.davidm13-11-2026
- Mason winning in Niel is huge—beating that kind of Belgian field in the mud takes serious class. The Kelvingrove World Cup could be an unforgettable homecoming.breakawaybikerd13-11-2026
- I’m not sure how WorldTour licences work—could these reports affect whether the team gets one next year, or is that decision based on other criteria?velodromevirtuoso113-11-2026