Lightweight Evenepoel 2.0 wants to crush 'black monster' Tourmalet in Tour de France test
CyclingWednesday, 08 July 2026 at 20:35
Follow IDL Pro Cycling on Google
Stay up to date with the best cycling news by making us a preferred source on Google.
Follow us on GoogleThe cycling world will be holding its breath on Thursday during Stage 6 of the Tour de France. With a stage over the Tourmalet, Tadej Pogacar and UAE Emirates-XRG could make a strong move. Jonas Vingegaard and Visma | Lease a Bike will have to be on their game to keep up. And what about the super-lightweight Remco Evenepoel and Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe?IDL Pro Cycling spoke with team director Klaas Lodewyck.
ADVERTISEMENT
Evenepoel seems to have found a new version of himself in this Tour de France—Evenepoel 2.0. The Belgian, who is still only 26, opted for a different approach to Tour preparation with his new team (which he joined last winter) and appeared with a sharp look on his face at the team presentation in Barcelona in early July. “I lost 4 kilos,” he proudly told the journalists in attendance.
This was thanks to 2.5 months of training and meticulous preparation, after he rode Liège–Bastogne–Liège in April and decided not to race again until the Tour. “We took our time and didn’t rush anything, in close consultation with our nutrition coaches and trainers. We’ve found a balance that allows Remco to maintain this weight,” said Lodewyck.
Read also
Continue reading below the photo
Remco Evenepoel at the team presentation in Barcelona
Evenepoel has never been as light as he is in this Tour de France
The Belgian team director, who—like Evenepoel—moved from Soudal Quick-Step to Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe last winter, had to admit to us that he had never seen his protégé look so light before. “It’s been a long time. That’s why he was a little less explosive in the first few days, but let’s not forget that Tadej Pogacar has simply taken it up a notch and looks sharp.”
Add Vingegaard and Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM) to that, and you’ve got four skinny guys among the top favorites. “It’s not just Remco who’s light—things get tough starting in the second week, and the third week is brutal. You have to be light to be competitive in this Tour, even though Remco has never been in such great shape in his career. He should be happy about that.”
So the long preparation period without races was also related to that. “You shouldn’t start the Tour lightly, only to be quickly worn out. We’re on track; hopefully it stays that way. Yes, Remco is feeling good and is a little less stressed because he’s been able to prepare really well over the past 2.5 months. In the past, there was always a bit of a rush to be ready for the Dauphiné.”
Continue reading below the photo
Evenepoel rode a strong team time trial with Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe
Evenepoel feels confident heading into Tourmalet
Evenepoel had already ridden the Tour de France in 2024 and 2025. His debut was a success, with a stage win, the young rider’s jersey, and a third-place finish in the overall standings. In 2025, he was a shadow of his former self. “He had more time to really focus on his training and get some rest. When you start a Grand Tour with fewer uncertainties, you go into the Tour with more confidence. Maybe that’s why he’s more relaxed.”
“So far, so good,” Lodewyck concluded after five stages of the Tour. Evenepoel is 23 seconds behind Pogacar and Vingegaard, but ahead of all the other team leaders. “Everything looks positive, although on days like Stage 5, you always have to be on your guard and make sure your nutrition is on point all day. If you’ve got everything in order, you can head into Stage 6 with confidence.”
On that stage, the riders will face their first mountain stage in the Pyrenees. The Col d’Aspin, Tourmalet, and the uphill finish in Gavarnie-Gèdre add up to nearly 4,200 meters of elevation gain. Even Lodewyck isn’t sure exactly how his team leader will fare. “It’s been a long time since we’ve seen Remco climb at this race weight. So far, we’ve seen nothing but positive signs.”
Continue reading below the photo
Can Evenepoel break the Tourmalet curse?
According to his team director, the fact that Evenepoel had very weak legs during his last two ascents of the Tourmalet shouldn’t matter. In 2024, Evenepoel lost contact with Pogacar and Vingegaard there; in 2025, he abandoned the stage over the Tourmalet. And then there was the Vuelta a España in 2023, when Evenepoel lost 27 minutes on the Tourmalet stage. He did, however, bounce back with several stage wins and the mountains jersey in the days that followed.
“We shouldn’t focus too much on the idea that the Tourmalet is some kind of black monster for Remco. He’s already tackled much tougher climbs successfully, so let’s focus on where he stands right now and look ahead,” according to sources at Red Bull. “It seems clear to me that UAE will once again be going for the stage win and time gains. They’ll do what they want; we just have to stay on their wheel for as long as possible.”
Read also
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'.
IDL-productions
A positive doping test saved Tour de France yellow jersey Torstein Træen's life
Carapaz 3rd and Baudin wearing polka-dots on stage 3 — will EF change their Tour de France tactics now?
2026 Tour de France stage 2 favourites | Pogačar out for revenge on this punchy stage to Barcelona
Brandon McNulty could be the winning difference for Pogačar at the 2026 Tour de France: 'I'm back in shape'
Bizarrely, Egan Bernal is wearing the first green jersey of the 2026 Tour de France. Here's why
Latest Cycling News
2026 Tour de France stage 6 preview | Tourmalet brings first real showdown between Pogačar & Vingegaard
2026 Tour de France Standings | What are the GC time gaps before the first mountain stage?
2026 Tour de France Stage 5 Preview | "Just" a sprint, but didn't we think the same thing in Pau in 2024...
Yellow Jersey Torstein Træen on Pogačar at the Tourmalet, Haaland at the World Cup, and catching a lift with Visma
Visma's crack climbing squad are ready to take it to UEA on the Tourmalet: 'Our guys will be there'
Popular Cycling News
Pidcock made no bones about the conditions on stage 3: 'We must have gone through 10,000 bidons today'
2026 Tour de France fines & penalties | Jayco lose a rider and Bahrain Belgian fined on stage 4
Tour de France Route 2026 | First real mountain stage approaching, including the Tourmalet
2026 Tour de France Standings | What are the GC time gaps before the first mountain stage?
2026 Tour de France start list | Jayco AlUla sees rider finish outside the time limit
Latest Comments
- - How many times has Pog actually worn yellow now? The article hints he’s lost count—anyone got the exact stat?robert6506-07-2026
- - Unreal start to the Tour: two punches in three days. If he’s taking yellow this early, the real game is load management before the first true summit finish.davidm06-07-2026
- - Grandissimo Tadej! Maillot jaune meritato, squadra perfetta oggi.sprocketspiny06-07-2026
- - Not sure I buy the “nothing really tough” description. 3,850m of climbing in that heat is brutal, even if the gradients aren’t HC. Felt a bit dismissive.cadencekingm06-07-2026
- - Pogacar’s humour about the gels was gold. Also, nice to see him credit Del Toro. That Barcelona gesture coming back today was a proper team arc.michael5406-07-2026
- - Quick question: when they say “break got a free pass” by Visma, does that mean Visma just stopped chasing completely? Or is it more like they eased but still controlled the gap?velodromevirtuoso106-07-2026
- - Sorry, but the piece glosses over how Vermeersch shredded the gap. That was the hinge of the stage. Give him more credit than a single line.raceready706-07-2026
- - Two seconds on a 200m kick says it all. Vingegaard looked glued, but not enough punch yet. Heat management + gels every 30 minutes clearly dialed.andrewf06-07-2026
- - What a statement from Pog! Del Toro’s launch was textbook. You could see UAE-XRG had zero interest in gifting the break any hope today.jennifer1906-07-2026
- - ¿Habrá abanicos con ese viento noroeste? Si se parte el pelotón en los llanos antes de Quillan, adiós a muchos sprinters.patriciaw06-07-2026
Loading