Remco Evenepoel starts hectic opening Tour de France in saving mode: 'Am I necessarily looking forward to that? No'

On Wednesday, Remco Evenepoel became the first overall contender to face the press ahead of the Tour de France. The Soudal Quick-Step leader, and reigning double Olympic champion, spoke to the media at co-sponsor Noah’s headquarters in Kruisem, Belgium, just days before the Grand Départ in Lille.

It’s easy to forget that Evenepoel is only two and a half months into his 2025 season. The 25-year-old Belgian, a top favorite for the white jersey in this year’s race, only made his return on April 18 at the Brabantse Pijl — the result of a long winter recovery following a bizarre collision with a mailbox in his home country.

Leading up to the Tour, Evenepoel rode the Tour de Romandie, the Critérium du Dauphiné and worked through the necessary weeks at altitude. In both Switzerland and France, he was able to win the time trial with supremacy, only to fall a bit short in the high mountains compared to the men he will also face in July.

Evenepoel starts Saturday in Lille as the Tour's number three favorite. 'Whether I have grown closer to the level of Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard? I don't know, because I don't measure up to them every week. My winter has completely collapsed and I still don't think that's going to give me an advantage.'

If there’s one thing Evenepoel isn’t thrilled about, it’s the chaos of the opening week. “It’s going to be hectic, especially with all the sprinters aiming for that stage one win,” he admitted. “The first week is completely different from last year. Am I really looking forward to it? No. But I’ll have to ride it regardless. Like everyone else, we’ll try to stay at the front, and by the end of the first week we’ll see who’s still standing without bruises or scars.”

Soudal Quick-Step has two objectives early on: keeping Evenepoel safe and going for stage wins with sprinter Tim Merlier. “If you’ve got one of the best sprinters and one of the top GC riders, you need to find a balance,” explained sports director Tom Steels. “Our first priority is to bring Remco safely to the 3 or 5 km to-go mark. Then we’ll assess how technical the finale is and see what’s possible for Tim. That decision will be up to me, Klaas Lodewyck, and Davide Bramati — and we’ll take full responsibility. That said, both Tim and Bert Van Lerberghe can also play a role in the GC battle during chaotic stages, so they’re not just here for sprints.”

Stage five, featuring the Tour’s first individual time trial, presents a real opportunity for Evenepoel. “In my opinion, it’s the only true time trial — the other one is basically an uphill effort,” he said. “The course in Caen is straightforward and not too technical. That’s also why I raced the Belgian time trial championships as preparation. It’s a big opportunity for me.”

“We’re taking it day by day,” Evenepoel emphasized. “The main goal for the first ten days is to survive and stay out of trouble — in every possible sense. Everyone knows the GC will really take shape in weeks two and three, so patience is key. We’re trying to conserve as much energy as possible in the early part of the race.”

Could he still go for a stage win before the mountains? “We’ll see,” he said. “First I need to be in the right place at the right time in those punchy finishes. But we saw in the Dauphiné how chaotic things can get. There are a few stages in this Tour that could go that way too, but above all, our priority is to stay safe.”

“We’ve basically split the Tour into two parts,” concluded Steels. “The first half is going to be pure chaos, with tricky stages where the GC riders will also be involved. For us, it’s all about keeping as many guys around Remco as possible to help with positioning.” Among those key helpers: Dutchman Pascal Eenkhoorn.

In preparation for the Tour, Evenepoel raced the Tour de Romandie, the Critérium du Dauphiné, and completed several altitude training blocks. He dominated the time trials in both Swiss and French races, but struggled somewhat in the high mountains against rivals he’ll face again in July.

Evenepoel will start Saturday’s Grand Départ as the third favorite behind Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard. “Have I closed the gap to them?” he pondered. “I honestly don’t know — I’m not racing them every week. My winter was completely ruined, and I still don’t think that’s going to work in my favor.”