Benson Bulletin: Tour de France stage 5 🇫🇷
Analysing all the key performances following the crucial Caen time trial
Hi Subscribers,
The most definitive stage of the Tour de France so far has delivered a thrilling time trial with Remco Evenepoel stamping his TT authority over his rivals, Tadej Pogačar riding into yellow, and Jonas Vingegaard cracking and losing well over a minute to his main GC rival.
In today’s newsletter, we analyse the key performances, hear from the main GC protagonists, and decipher what today’s results mean for the landscape within the race.
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Daniel 🫶
Evenepoel finds his speed in the stillness of the TT 🇧🇪
On stage 5, and in the serenity of his beloved time trial, Remco Evenepoel was in his element. For the first time in this year’s race, the young Belgian was able to operate in an environment with no distractions and, more importantly, no effective opposition.
Throughout the first four days of the Tour de France, we’ve seen a media frenzy over his contract situation, he’s lost time in the crosswinds, crashed in a sprint finish and bounced back with a composed performance on the tricky finish into Rouen. Whereas Pogačar glides and Vingegaard shies, it’s almost as if Evenepoel attracts the attention like no other rider.
It almost feels as if he has ridden twice as many stages as his rivals in this year's race, but on stage 5 in Caen, he delivered his best performance of the season with a consummate and commanding ride against the clock. His win never really seemed in doubt, and as he floated through each corner, he produced a rendition that had the beating of Pogačar and quickly elevated the Belgian to second overall.
Of course, this is his preferred discipline, but like everyone else with GC ambitions at the Tour de France, his race will be decided in the mountains. However, this was the perfect response after four drama-filled days.
“You never know what can happen in a time trial, but I was incredibly motivated today. I knew I had a formidable bike and a good chance to take the victory, and fortunately, the legs were there, and everything went as planned from start to finish. I am happy with this result and with our team’s second success of the week, as it makes us more relaxed,” Evenepoel said after the race.
“I pushed a steady tempo, a bit harder on the uphill parts, and in the end, I kept the same pace I had in the opening kilometres and continued to gain time on the others. I am content with the way I paced myself and with moving up in the overall standings of the race. It was an important chance for me to gain time on the others, and the fact I did it gives me a lot of confidence”, the Belgian added.
Next up is another demanding stage to Vire Normandie before the infamous finish on Mûr-de-Bretagne. Two sprint stages follow, then the first real showdown in the mountains. Evenepoel will be hoping for four days of relative calm before that major assault, but as we’ve seen in Remco's world, calm isn’t a usual commodity.
Tour de France stage 5 results 🇫🇷
GC results after stage 5 🇫🇷
