Tour de France 2025: Remco Evenepoel, a time trial to set the record straight after a late start

The double Olympic champion is the big favorite for the time trial of the 5th stage of the Tour de France, Wednesday, in Caen.

"In an ideal world, Remco Evenepoel takes the yellow jersey in Caen and launches a wild race for the general classification," predicted one of the big names in the Tour de France organization to franceinfo: sport before the big start in Lille. A failure. Because, in four stages, several twists of fate have already reshuffled the cards . Of course, Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) remains the big favorite in the time trial of the 5th stage, Wednesday, July 9, around Caen.

But the two-time Olympic champion must (above all) take advantage of this to get back into the race after a poor start. As he sets out to become the Olympic and world time trial champion in the Normandy countryside, Remco Evenepoel is unexpectedly 58 seconds behind Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates XRG) and 50 seconds behind Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a bike). Failing to take the yellow card, the Belgian must do everything he can to avoid saying goodbye after just five stages.

Yet it all started like a dream for the third-place finisher in the last Tour de France. Discreet last summer for his (successful) debut on the Tour de France, the Belgian was welcomed like a rock star at the start of Lille , where his fellow Belgians had made the short trip in large numbers. But the capital of Flanders will not leave him with a good memory. And for good reason: he lost 39 seconds there on the evening of the first stage, which was nevertheless promised to the sprinters .

"We must have thought it was just going to a sprint, so it's a big mistake," he lamented after being trapped by a ledge initiated by Jonas Vingegaard's teammates 17 km from the finish. "It's always a bit shitty to start like that... Those are stupid seconds we're losing. We let ourselves fall asleep. It's a collective mistake," the Soudal Quick-Step leader chided, before remobilizing the troops.

"There are 20 stages left. Last year, we had a 40-second deficit after four stages, and now it's the same after just one day. But we have to deal with it and move forward."

Remco Evenepoel, after the first stage

to franceinfo: sport

The crush around the Belgian team's bus at the finish in Lille alone was a testament to the magnitude of the day's shock. But, at 25, the winner of the 2022 Vuelta now knows how to keep his cool: "We're going to try to survive, to get through the first ten days without any problems," the 2022 world champion puts things into perspective, mentioning plans B and C. Plans that certainly didn't rely on the crash that occurred on the third stage, in the final kilometers before the final sprint in Dunkirk.

Because after having reassured on the 2nd stage , arriving with the best in Boulogne-sur-Mer, Remco Evenepoel was again surprised in the final of a stage promised to the sprinters, Sunday. In the race before the sprint in Dunkirk, the Belgian was in fact sent to the mat by his compatriot Jordi Meeus (Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe). A new scare for Remco Evenepoel, who crossed the finish line in 158th position holding his elbow, before reassuring on his state of health with a broad smile.