Evenepoel sees Tour de France leadership balance with Lipowitz clearly: 'Every leader for themself'

After 68 days away from racing, we’ll finally see Remco Evenepoel back in action on July 4. With his unconventional preparation for the Tour de France, the Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe team leader raised some eyebrows, but the Belgian seems to be fully ready. And as always, he makes no secret of his ambitions.

Evenepoel had a long and grueling spring season, and that took its toll in the final weeks of spring. He finished third in Liège–Bastogne–Liège and had to take a break after La Doyenne. It was then decided to extend that break until the start of the Tour in Barcelona: he would not ride in any more races. “I can also get ready through training; I don’t necessarily need races to be ready,” he told Sporza and others ahead of the Tour.

It should have a positive effect on Evenepoel, who has finally been able to prepare for the Tour de France in his own way again. In 2025, a collision with a car during the winter led to a poor start to his season, forcing him to withdraw halfway through. “I was completely drained when I lined up at the start of the Tour back then; now I’ll be in good shape.”

The Evenepoel standing at the start of the Tour today is a very different Evenepoel compared to last year. “Back then, I could barely get through any of the training blocks during my final high-altitude training camp. Now I’ve been able to do everything, even in the extreme heat. I’m extremely pleased with the progress I’ve made. I’m approaching the start with a completely different mindset.”

This will be Evenepoel's third appearance at the Tour. In his debut in 2024, he finished third and took home the white jersey. The competition is extremely strong this year, but the Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe team leader is ready for the challenge. “Yellow is, of course, a dream, but everyone will have worked toward it.” That yellow jersey is up for grabs as early as Day 1.

The team time trial in Barcelona is a stage where the German team has high hopes, as evidenced by the rock-solid lineup they’re bringing. With Evenepoel, Florian Lipowitz, as well as Nico Denz, Mattia Cattaneo, and Tim van Dijke, the team has several key riders. “You focus on your own team’s performance. That time trial won’t change much in the general classification; you have to treat it as an opportunity for a stage win—and, of course, to claim the yellow jersey at the end of the day.”

It’s quite possible that the dynamic between team leaders Evenepoel and Lipowitz will become clearer as early as the team time trial. “It’s a chance to win the stage with the team. The last kilometer climbs steeply, so we’ll ride uphill as fast as we can. In the final kilometer, it’s every leader for themselves in the Tour,” said the Belgian.

With Maxim Van Gils, the team leader has a fellow countryman by his side in the Tour. Van Gils has already made quite an impression. “In the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, he put himself to the test with great enthusiasm. He won a stage and played a key role in securing Luke Tuckwell’s second-place finish. He had an outstanding week; his selection is well-deserved. He’ll be crucial in the intermediate stages and the mountain stages.”

Van Gils could become a very important pillar of support, partly because he and Evenepoel know each other well. “I’ve been racing with Maxim for a long time; we understand each other well. He could become incredibly important. Hindley and he have key roles to play in the mountains. I have every confidence that he’ll do well and that he’s ready.”