Red Bull want Evenepoel in monster shape for the Tour, down to the millimetre, after 68 days without racing!

Remco Evenepoel had a busy spring, racing from January through to Liège-Bastogne-Liège at the end of April. After a third place in La Doyenne, the Tour de France became his next target, but in the build-up to his hunt for the yellow jersey, the Belgian of Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe will adjust his programme: he will not ride the customary Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (née Criterium de Dauphine).

Evenepoel was the star of the early spring, with six victories - including a team time trial - in his first eight race days. He also won a time trial in the UAE Tour, but there he could not compete for overall victory. After a somewhat tougher Tour of Catalonia, the focus turned to the Classics, with a surprise appearance at the Tour of Flanders.

There the 26-year-old Belgian showed his best side and finished third, behind winner Tadej Pogačar and Mathieu van der Poel. The hilly Classics came next, and Evenepoel won the Amstel Gold Race. In Liège-Bastogne-Liège he started as one of the three big favourites, but he could not follow Paul Seixas and Pogačar on La Redoute. He finished third.

Evenepoel and Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe still cherish the dream of winning the Tour de France one day. The German team brought the Belgian in with the aim of delivering him the yellow jersey. In July he will therefore line up as co-leader - alongside Florian Lipowitz - and he would usually ride the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes as preparation.

The race, which was called the Critérium du Dauphiné until last year, was removed from his schedule at the start of May. The world time trial champion will therefore line up for the Tour without a true prep race. DH Net did the maths: if we see Evenepoel start in Barcelona on 4 July in the Tour, he will have gone 68 days without racing.

“We decided together with Remco to take a break after an intense spring,” Zak Dempster said in a team press release at the start of May. “The goal is for him to arrive in Barcelona completely fresh. After analysing his 25 race days, we see a greater benefit in a balanced, alternative programme than in even more racing.”

A few weeks after the news of that long spell without racing, sports director Patxi Vila gave DH Net a more detailed explanation of what exactly is being done with the team leader. “We have seen that Remco can reach a very high level without necessarily taking part in preparation races. We believe in this plan and are focusing fully on the Tour.”

“This should allow him to arrive in Barcelona more relaxed and in better shape,” said Vila, who will keep a close eye on the 68 days between Liège and Barcelona. “We want to maintain control over his training load, Remco’s motivation and the progress of his programme. We want to prepare him for the Tour down to the millimetre.”

According to Vila, Evenepoel is “highly motivated” and we can expect a big level from the Belgian in July. Evenepoel is already riding six to seven hours now, so he still has a month and a half to improve. “The long endurance rides form the base, and in the coming weeks we will do more specific work. He also has to perform in the mountains, at very high intensity.”

Lipowitz, the other co-leader of the German formation, will prepare for the Tour with racing. Not in France, and not in the Tour de Suisse either: the German climber, who finished second in the Tour of Romandy in April behind Tadej Pogačar, will choose the Tour of Slovenia as his final race before his big goal.

“Florian has been extremely consistent in his last three stage races,” Dempster said. “We have got the desired performance stimulus from his spring, and more importantly; he has gained a lot of confidence in the path we have laid out together. We will continue on that path, with patience and consistency in the period ahead.”

Lipowitz will join Evenepoel at altitude in May. Both riders will also do some Tour stage recon.