Remco Evenepoel has impressed but he's at a Tour de France crossroads
The challenge is huge but the Belgian has earned the backing and the right to keep investing in his Tour de France progression
At the start of the Tour de France in Florence the communication broadcasting from the Soudal Quick-Step camp was that a top-five overall was the ballpark aim for Remco Evenepoel.
The Belgian won a Vuelta a España a couple of years ago and had shown glimpses of greatness at two consecutive Grand Tours since but this challenge was to represent an upgrade in difficulty, and with Jonas Vingegaard, Tadej Pogačar and Primož Roglič all lining up with more experience, it made sense for the Belgian camp to lower expectations around their star ahead of his maiden Tour mission.
Two days from the final stage in Nice, there’s much to admire about Evenepoel’s Tour display. He sits third overall, has won a stage, and looks set to take home the white jersey. A podium place awaits and it’s not inconceivable that third could turn to second if Vingegaard cracks on the final mountain stage and then concedes more time in Sunday’s final TT around Nice.
Results so far, and the current overall standings aside, perhaps the greatest measure of Evenepoel’s success in his year’s race has been his enhanced maturity and resilience in the face of undoubted pressure from an all-conquering Pogačar and his UAE squad. But for one rush of blood to the head on the gravel stage, Evenepoel has been almost faultless during the entire race.