'I'm not in my best shape yet': Remco Evenepoel obliterates stage five time trial to seal Volta ao Algarve victory
The young Belgian impressed once again as he takes the biggest stage race win of his career so far

The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Thank you for signing up to The Pick. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
Remco Evenepoel beat world TT champion Rohan Dennis to win the stage five time trial at the Volta ao Algarve to also seal the overall victory.
The 20-year-old beat Dennis by 10 seconds, with Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ) in third, to clinch his second stage race win of the year after emerging victorious at the Vuelta a San Juan earlier in the month.
Evenepoel crossed the line just behind Dan Martin (Israel Start-Up Nation), who had set off two minutes before the Deceuninck - Quick-Step rider. His time was a new fastest for this course, which has been used in the Portuguese race for the past three years.
Geraint Thomas (Ineos) finish in 25 minutes, 51 seconds slower than when he won this time trial stage in the 2018 edition.
Evenepoel finished 38 seconds ahead of Max Schachmann (Bora-Hansgrohe) on GC, with Miguel Ángel López (Astana) in third, one second slower.
Speaking after the finish, Evenepoel said: "I'm really happy, I knew it was just 20km full gas and I started quite fast and then I knew in the hilly sections I had to recover well so that's what I did. I just went all out, the communication with the car was perfect, I knew every corner, every hole in the road. I'm very happy."
Asked if this sends a message to his rivals ahead of the Giro d'Italia in May, Evenepoel said he's just focusing on his own goals and that he doesn't think he's in his best shape yet, which inadvertently will send a rather scary message to those who will line up against him in Budapest in May.
"No, no, that's not my goal. I'm only working hard for my own goals. I'm working hard for two months time, I'm not in the best shape yet but I still have time, still a long way to go but I'm already happy with where I'm at now," Evenepoel said.
How it happened
Jasha Sütterlin (Sunweb) set an early fastest time of 25-02 before UAE Team Emirates' Mikkel Berg was the first to break the 25-minute barrier with 24-59. Yves Lampaert (Deceuninck - Quick-Step) then went six seconds faster but knew his time in the hot seat would be brief.
That was because world time trial champion Rohan Dennis (Ineos) was coming into the finish, setting a new fastest time of 24-17.
Swiss time trial champion Stefan Küng would come fairly close to besting the Australian, after setting the fastest time at the time check he eventually finished in 24-26, nine seconds slower than Dennis.
Dennis' team-mate Michał Kwiatkowski would then come through the intermediate time check only six seconds down on Küng's time, before Vincenzo Nibali (Trek-Segafredo) would go one second faster than the Swiss rider.
Geraint Thomas then rolled across the line in 25-00, enough for 12th place as he finishes his first race back after the off-season.
Kwiatkowski would finish with a stronger ride than he has provided for the rest of the week, finishing sixth with 24-46 before Nibali faded over the second half of his ride and finished with a time of 25-13.
Race leader Remco Evenepoel, and the only rider likely to trouble Dennis, went 15 seconds quicker than Küng at the intermediate time check.
Miguel Ángel López (Astana) posted a respectable 24-45 to guarantee his spot on the podium, but Max Schachmann beat him by the smallest of margins so the German defended his second spot on GC.
Evenepoel soared into the finish, nearly catching Dan Martin, as he powered across the line having beaten the world time trial champion by 10 seconds.
Results
Volta ao Algarve 2020, stage five: Lagoa to Lagoa (ITT - 20.3km)
1. Remco Evenepoel (Bel) Deceuninck - Quick-Step, in 24-07
2. Rohan Dennis (Aus) Ineos, at 10 seconds
3. Stefan Küng (Sui) Groupama-FDJ, at 19s
4. Max Schachmann (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe, at 38s
5. Miguel Ángel López (Col) Astana
6. Michał Kwiatkowski (Pol) Ineos
7. Patrick Bevin (NZl) CCC, all at same time
8. Yves Lampaert (Bel) Deceuninck - Quick-Step, at 46s
9. Nils Politt (Ger) Israel Start-Up Nation, at 47s
10. Mads Schmidt Würtz (Den) Israel Start-Up Nation, at 48s
Final general classification
1. Remco Evenepoel (Bel) Deceuninck - Quick-Step, in 19-23-42
2. Max Schachmann (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe, at 38 seconds
3. Miguel Ángel López (Col) Astana, at 39s
4. Rui Costa (Por) UAE Team Emirates, at 56s
5. Tim Wellens (Bel) Lotto-Soudal, at 1-17
6. Simon Geschke (Ger) CCC, at 1-18
7. Lennard Kämna (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe, at 1-26
8. Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek-Segafredo, at 1-31
9. João Almeida (Por) Deceuninck - Quick-Step, at 1-40
10. Amaro Antunes (Por) W52 / FC Porto, at 1-57
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Hi. I'm Cycling Weekly's Weekend Editor. I like writing offbeat features and eating too much bread when working out on the road at bike races.
Before joining Cycling Weekly I worked at The Tab and I've also written for Vice, Time Out, and worked freelance for The Telegraph (I know, but I needed the money at the time so let me live).
I also worked for ITV Cycling between 2011-2018 on their Tour de France and Vuelta a España coverage. Sometimes I'd be helping the producers make the programme and other times I'd be getting the lunches. Just in case you were wondering - Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen had the same ham sandwich every day, it was great.
-
-
You can now ride a bike just like Mathieu van der Poel's Worlds winning cyclocross machine
If, of course, you can stomach the price tag
By Luke Friend Published
-
Riders could be left without a job as ProTeam faces closure
Inside sources say riders and staff at Bolton Equities Black Spoke are concerned about their futures
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Five things we learned from an action packed week of stage racing in Europe
Ineos Grenadiers reign in Portugal, Tadej Pogačar might be unstoppable and there's an unexpected winner at Valenciana
By Adam Becket Published
-
Sam Bennett sprints to stage one victory at Volta ao Algarve 2021 after yet another perfect lead-out
Sam Bennett took the opening stage of the Volta ao Algarve 2021 after his team nailed the timing of the lead-out yet again for their star fast man beating Danny Van Poppel and Jon Aberasturi.
By Tim Bonville-Ginn Published
-
Volta ao Algarve 2021 postponed due to coronavirus
The 2021 Volta ao Algarve has been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
By Alex Ballinger Published
-
Miguel Ángel López takes stage four win as Remco Evenepoel closes in on GC at Volta ao Algarve
The young Belgian has just an individual time trial between him and his second overall victory of the season
By Jonny Long Published
-
Cees Bol overpowers Quick-Step with huge sprint on stage three of the Volta ao Algarve 2020
Cees Bol was the first rider to deny Quick-Step in the Volta ao Algarve as he took stage three with a stunning sprint.
By Alex Ballinger Published
-
Remco Evenepoel dedicates Algarve stage win to fellow Belgian rider whose son died last week
Remco Evenepoel dedicated his Volta ao Algarve stage victory to a fellow Belgian rider whose son died last week.
By Alex Ballinger Published
-
Remco Evenepoel stuns rivals with summit finish victory on stage two of the Volta ao Algarve 2020
The 20-year-old sets himself up for a second overall race victory already this year
By Jonny Long Published
-
Fabio Jakobsen pushes past Elia Viviani to take stage one of the Volta ao Algarve 2020
Youth trumped experience in the Volta ao Algarve 2020 as Fabio Jakobsen pushed past Elia Viviani to take stage one.
By Alex Ballinger Published