No Pogačar press conference on the Tour de France rest day, but Evenepoel spoke, after a (full) night's rest
CyclingMonday, 20 July 2026 at 17:03
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Follow us on GoogleThere was to be no press conference with yellow jersey wearer Tadej Pogačar on the final rest day of the Tour de France. But Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe did open its virtual doors to the press on Monday. Remco Evenepoel was still in high spirits after winning the mountain stage to Plateau de Solaison just under 24 hours earlier. Tuesday brings another opportunity with the individual time trial.
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Evenepoel’s victory may have been momentous, but it was certainly overshadowed by two other news stories on Sunday. The late-night doping test on Pogačar and Vingegaard, and the news of the latters crash and withdrawal. Pogačar, as the yellow jersey, has to attend a brief press conference every day during the race, so skipping the rest day obligation to speak with the media is not surprising.
Evenepoel was available however. The Belgian rider from Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe went into the rest day—and the rest night— as a stage winner. “I didn’t have to worry about anything. I was able to sleep normally and soundly. First, I watched the World Cup final, which went into extra time, so falling asleep was delayed a bit because of the Spaniards and Argentines. But in the end, it was a nice way to unwind and settle in for a peaceful night’s sleep,” said the soccer fan.
With this mindset, Evenepoel heads into Week 3 of the Tour de France
Evenepoel is currently in second place, but Vingegaard's misfortune isn’t on his mind. “Honestly, no. That’s a situation you can’t count on. My mindset is to hold onto that second place, starting with the time trial. After that, there are two relatively calmer days for the general classification contenders, which usually end up as a breakaway scenario, and maybe even a sprint finish.”
Evenepoel isn't quite convinced that Pogacar actually sees him as a rival. "I don't think he necessarily needs to worry about that. He doesn't need to worry about anyone. I'm just going to do my best and hopefully ride the third week of my life to defend our spot on the podium."
"For me, tomorrow is especially important. I'm going to try to conserve my energy as much as possible over the next two days so that I can be at my best again on Friday and Saturday to defend that second-place position. I'm not going to get carried away or start dreaming of winning the Tour just yet; under normal circumstances, that's way out of reach," he realises.
Read more below the photo!
Remco Evenepoel won at Plateau de Solaison on Sunday.
Evenepoel on weight loss and its impact during time trials
But first, the time trial—which, in theory, should suit him perfectly. However, the weight loss that helped secure his victory on Sunday could also slow him down between Évian-les-Bains and Thonon-les-Bains. “I haven’t really thought about that yet. Of course, the first 10 kilometers are uphill, so that won’t necessarily be a disadvantage. It’s not a climb like yesterday’s, but it’s still nearly 430 meters of elevation gain over about ten kilometers. You can definitely call that a climb.”
"The difference isn't really that noticeable. The feel on the time trial bike actually stays the same. The biggest difference is that I can reach the same speed with slightly less power, because the whole point of being lighter is simply to go just as fast with less power—both uphill and on the flats,” Evenepoel explains.
"The big difference lies in the intermediate stages: I’m now getting through the day with a much lower average wattage than I would if I were 2 to 3 kilograms heavier. In terms of energy consumption (kilojoules), that figure is actually significantly lower at the end of the stage than it was, say, two years ago. These are small details you don’t necessarily feel on any given day, but you do over the course of three weeks. So I don’t notice it directly on the time-trial bike itself, but I do notice it in my total energy expenditure over the entire Tour.”
"From the 2022 Vuelta, I know my time trial back then was pretty good too, so normally things should be fine. A slightly narrower bike is probably a bit more aerodynamic as well," Evenepoel laughs. “But no, I’m confident we’re in good shape. In terms of absolute wattage, I might lose a bit, but overall it’s a time trial with a section uphill, a section downhill, and the last 9 kilometers more or less flat. So normally, that should stay well balanced.”
Read more below the photo!
Remco Evenepoel on his time trial bike.
Evenepoel: 'The descent is on the edge'
So what differences does Evenepoel expect at Lake Geneva? “That’s a tough question. A 4% climb can make a surprisingly big difference, especially when you have to ride alone. In the peloton, you benefit a lot from drafting, but of course that’s not the case here. It’s going to be unique: there are quite a few intermediate sprints along the way. One halfway through, one at the top, and one after the descent with about 8 kilometers to go.'
"The time gaps at the top won't normally change much from here on out until the finish. But it really depends on the day after the rest day. Some riders handle that better than others, so there could be some surprising results. It's hard to put an exact number on it," he explains.
"It's a beautiful course, and I'm fully focused on winning the stage. The descent is a bit on the edge for a time trial, though: very fast, very technical, and also a bit dangerous. But that's the same for everyone," Evenepoel says, weighing his options. “You have to go full throttle right from the start and pace yourself well, because the final stretch isn’t easy. I’m going to give it my all and try to win.”
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Tom van der Salm (27) comes from the charming town of Zeilberg (Deurne) in the Netherlands and has been working as editor-in-chief & journalist at IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, In de Leiderstrui, since 2019. He travels with the peloton from the Tour de France to the AlUla Tour and from the World Championships in Rwanda or Canada to the Zilvermeercross in Mol. In his spare time he enjoys playing football, mountain biking, running, walking with his Labrador/Stabyhoun, investing, holidays, (specialty) beers, reading, cooking and watching sports & documentaries!
Contact: [email protected]
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Latest Comments
- Testing those two riders, Jonas & Tadej, in the middle of their sleeping regimen was, it seems, a despicable action, regadless of any other considerations. But if it was done in aid of another participant, Paul Seixas, it becomes a monstrous act, a perversion of all the conventions of sportsmanship and fair play. The teams and the two riders, as well as the public deserve a thorough and timely explanation for the dual intrusions. As for the crash, I agree that it was a dangerous turn, which should have been made less so by someone with a flag and a whistle. Full Stop. On the other side, however, is the fact that except for Jonas, and the few riders who crashed because of his spill, all the other riders did make it through the hairpin. Again, that doesn't excuse the lack of a proper safety protocol, which should always be the primary consideration.rjb21-07-2026
- Great read, but you skipped over the T/E ratio vs. carbon isotope testing details. That’s key to why his defense fell apart. También, el video de NOS con “The Great Escape” es icónico — goosebumps every time.robert6520-07-2026
- Pereiro’s win still feels bittersweet, but the article’s fair to point out Landis’s role in exposing the wider mess. The USADA case changed the entire era’s narrative. Armstrong’s quote aged poorly; Floyd’s response was surprisingly gracious.breakawaybikerd20-07-2026
- Wait, so how did whiskey make a test show “too much testosterone”? Is that actually possible or just an excuse he tried? And what does “excessive testosterone” mean in cycling terms — ratio or absolute value?tourdeforce920-07-2026
- Small correction: it’s Levi Leipheimer, not “Lepheimer.” Otherwise cracking recap. Also Botero and Gutierrez being yanked really did leave Phonak too thin to control yellow. You can see why they played the long rope with Pereiro.raceready720-07-2026
- Wild to think it’s been 20 years. Stage 17 to Morzine was pure madness — attacking on the Saisies with 130k to go, then holding ~6 minutes at the line in that heat? Even now it reads like science fiction. Good context on how Phonak let Pereiro up the road in Stage 13; people forget that chess move set the board.gearguru3320-07-2026
- - Great article, but slight nit: Naesen says “no one is going to take it at 11 p.m.” Are we sure? Teams plan everything down to the minute. If the window is 3 hours, wouldn’t late evening actually be logical? Parece un poco contradictorio, no?davidm20-07-2026
- - Sorry, maybe a basic question: why would they test for growth hormones at night specifically? Is it because it clears in a few hours, or do riders take it before sleep? Little confused on the timing.tourdeforce920-07-2026
- - Terrible that Vinge is out after that crash. Still, can we be sure the late test had zero effect on recovery and focus the next day? Sleep disruption matters at this level. The authorities should publish their rationale.breakawaybikerd20-07-2026
- - Quick one: if the French agency can do night tests “when suspected,” what exactly triggered suspicion here? Feels selective if only Pog and Jonas got the knock. Bit unfair, no?cyclechamp4520-07-2026
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