'It takes away the pressure' - Remco Evenepoel grabs Tour de France stage win in Caen

Belgian flies in individual time trial as transfer rumours linger on

Remco Evenepoel
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Remco Evenepoel was true to his word in Rouen on Tuesday evening as he snatched back crucial time in the fight for the yellow jersey at the Tour de France with individual time trial victory in Caen.

The Belgian has faced a tough opening few days to the race, losing time in the first few stages as speculation around his long term future continues to swirl, but he bounced back emphatically in Normandy to win the stage and move up to second behind the new race leader, Tadej Pogačar.

"I don't know if he will take it as a big loss or not – Jonas is mentally strong enough to take things like this. He already had an advantage over me before the TT so that will ease the pain a bit," Evenepoel added. "In terms of Tadej, his TTs at the Tour are always more than in other races, so it is not surprising. I was maybe expecting more of an advantage on him but on the moments he has to perform he does, this shows why he is the best rider in the world and the guy to beat in this Tour de France again."

One thing is now already certain as the end of the first week of the Tour approaches: Pogačar is in control and the Slovenian will have two opportunities in as many days to go on the attack, at Vieux Normandie and the Mûr-de-Bretagne on Thursday and Friday. Evenepoel surmised that he felt it was almost inevitable that the Slovenian would go on the offensive yet again.

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Tom Thewlis
News and Features Writer

After previously working in higher education, Tom joined Cycling Weekly in 2022 and hasn't looked back. He's been covering professional cycling ever since; reporting on the ground from some of the sport's biggest races and events, including the Tour de France, Paris-Roubaix and the World Championships. His earliest memory of a bike race is watching the Tour on holiday in the early 2000's in the south of France - he even made it on to the podium in Pau afterwards. His favourite place that cycling has taken him is Montréal in Canada.

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