Tour de France appears ready to bow to Evenepoel: "He will be a central figure for the next 10 years"
Cycling
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 GoogleRemco Evenepoel has gained a significant boost of confidence with his third place in the Tour de France. The Belgian from Soudal-Quick Step celebrated with his team on Sunday and mentioned that winning all three Grand Tours no longer needs to be just a dream. With the Vuelta a España already in hand, the Tour de France organization seems willing to see Evenepoel finish in yellow someday.
ADVERTISEMENT
Evenepoel was at Maison de Bacon in Antibes on Sunday, where he was handed the microphone. "Now I just need a podium spot in the Giro, and then I will have finished in the top three in all the Grand Tours," he said ambitiously. Evenepoel has already worn the pink jersey in the Giro, but had to withdraw in 2023 due to COVID. He also participated in 2021 but abandoned in the third week after a crash.
Thus, the Giro d'Italia remains a goal, but so does the Tour de France. "After that, we'll be chasing all the jerseys," Evenepoel chuckled, according to HLN. "It’s my goal to win all the Grand Tours in my career. After today (Sunday, editor’s note), that dream seems realistic."
Read more below the photo.
Evenepoel at the Tourppdium in Nice
Tour boss Prudhomme sees Evenepoel as a future Tour winner
This will sound like music to Christian Prudhomme, chairman of ASO. The Frenchman tells Tutto Bici that he sees Evenepoel as a future Tour winner. "Remco will be a central figure in the Tour for the next ten years; he has all the qualities to win someday. Why not? Everyone is now convinced that he can do it. I am impressed by his consistency and rising form in the third week."
"Nobody knows where his limit lies and how far he can still grow," Prudhomme adds. "He is 24 years old, this was his first Tour de France, and he has been competing for prizes since his first day as a pro. He is loved by the public, just like Tadej Pogacar. A bond has also developed between Remco and Tadej, unlike with Jonas Vingegaard. With these three, we can expect great battles."
Read more below the photo.
Remco Evenepoel
Will the Tour de France become even less boring?
In Belgium, analysts are already looking ahead to Evenepoel's future in the Tour. According to them, he can only win if the parcours is tailored more to his strengths. This call seems to be heard by course designer Thierry Gouvenou, who expressed his dissatisfaction with some of the dull, flat stages in an interview with RTBF. "The crashes in the spring had a huge impact on this Tour. Vingegaard was clearly not at his best, and Evenepoel was no match for Pogacar, who has reached a level never seen before. On paper, it looked good: four leaders who had to fight for three weeks. The parcours was designed to ensure a battle until the end."
In the coming years, Gouvenou seems intent on making the Tour even more challenging. "I have seen fantastic stages, but I have a problem with the sprint stages. For hours, nothing happens because the scenario is predetermined. I want to reduce the number of mass sprints because we need to show a different face of cycling. We need more dynamism, not trains riding motionless. We understand there are moments of rest, but the sprint stages were systematically frozen."
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
Pogačar, Vingegaard and Van Aert went faster again in 2026... except when they didn't
Team GB dominate, China on the rise, Lavreysen the best ever? Five takeaways from the 2026 Track World Championships
Track World Championships day 2: A golden day for Team GB, Levreysen goes 2 for 2, and Kopecky eliminates the competition
Rumours, speculation and guesswork: 2027 Tour de France route will be revealed live on October 22 in Paris
Vollering adds the Women’s European Championships road race jersey to her rainbow wardrobe
Latest Cycling News
UAE Emirates-XRG pulled out all the stops to bag 'exceptional climber' as future support for Pogačar
Thibau Nys crashed twice at the Koppenbergcross but still pulled off a remarkable feat
Tom Pidcock’s brother puts an end to his ordeal: 'This year, I don't hate cycling, and I don't want to either'
Tadej Pogačar on Mathieu van der Poel and Tom Boonen, but also kiwi/pineapple, visualisation and the Gravel World Championships
Modern Adventure just keeps growing: Hincapie's team strengthen 2027 roster with 4 great signings
Popular Cycling News
Tadej Pogačar on Mathieu van der Poel and Tom Boonen, but also kiwi/pineapple, visualisation and the Gravel World Championships
Greg LeMond accuses Lance Armstrong of paying the UCI : 'Very bitter taste in my mouth'
Modern Adventure just keeps growing: Hincapie's team strengthen 2027 roster with 4 great signings
Tadej Pogacar told the New York Times just how bad his Vuelta crash was: 'I wasn’t a pleasant person to be around'
Tom Pidcock’s brother puts an end to his ordeal: 'This year, I don't hate cycling, and I don't want to either'
Latest Comments
- I don’t understand how you can break vertebrae and not feel much pain there. Does that mean the collarbone injury was just more noticeable, or can spinal fractures sometimes cause very little pain? Hope he’s fully healed soon.sprocketspiny01-11-2026
- The recovery-score details are interesting, but they’re not a substitute for proper medical advice. Hopefully the team are keeping a close eye on him and letting the scans—not the urge to train—set the timetable.jennifer1901-11-2026
- Pogacar’s point about the safety gap between the Tour and smaller races is spot on. Riders are going faster than ever, yet some finishes still have awkward turns and road furniture right in the finale. Organisers need to take this seriously.gearguru3301-11-2026
- Two extra vertebrae fractures is a frightening discovery, especially after the concussion and collarbone injury. Glad he’s recovering, but it shows why coming back too soon would be a terrible risk.breakawaybikerd01-11-2026
- The team says it wants answers “as quickly as possible”, but speed shouldn’t come at the expense of a thorough investigation. Since Picnic PostNL commissioned it, will the full report be published? The team’s transparency will matter as much as who leads the inquiry.cyclechamp4530-10-2026
- How can current riders give evidence without their comments being traced back to them? That seems especially important in a case about fear.raceready730-10-2026
- Olfers’ experience with the Rasmussen case is relevant: that inquiry also scrutinised the team’s decisions, not just the rider’s. Let’s hope this one looks closely at management and working conditions too.patriciaw30-10-2026
- An independent investigation is the right step, but it needs to be genuinely independent in practice. With 71 people already speaking to NOS and Thijs Zonneveld, Verinorm has a substantial starting point. I hope people can give evidence confidentially and the findings are made public.breakawaybikerd30-10-2026
- - I’m still figuring out the race categories: would a2 event like Battenkill attract the same teams and TV coverage as a WorldTour race?jennifer1929-10-2026
- - Seeing McNulty, Simmons and Jorgenson race on home roads would be a real boost. Hope this becomes more than just talk.raceready729-10-2026