CYCLING – BELGIAN Remco Evenepoel won the individual time trial on stage 16 of the Tour de France yesterday, finishing the 26.1km route in 32 minutes and 19 seconds to shave 28 seconds off four-time champion Tadej Pogacar’s overall lead.
Pogacar, who finished second in the stage, remains four minutes and 32 seconds ahead of Evenepoel (Red Bull–Bora–Hansgrohe) in the race for the yellow jersey as the Slovenian UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider closes in on his third straight Tour de France title.
“It’s incredible. To win this time trial with such a performance, I’m just proud and happy. It’s amazing to win two stages in a row,” said Evenepoel.
Despite his superb form, Evenepoel dismissed suggestions he could challenge Pogacar for overall victory.
“Honestly, no,” he answered when asked if he was aiming to dethrone Pogacar. “I’m just focused on my own spot. I mean, Tadej (Pogacar) is on his way to win a fifth Tour de France. It’s just amazing that I can be a bit close to him.”
Denmark’s Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek) was the third fastest on the route from Evian-les-Bains to Thonon-les-Bains, a minute and four seconds behind Evenepoel, who had also won the previous stage.
By the time Skjelmose had upstaged Mattia Cattaneo to post the leading time, 26-year-old Evenepoel had already started his ride, making it to the third checkpoint 16 seconds faster than Pogacar.
Evenepoel, who took gold in the road race and time trial at the Paris Olympics, accelerated further in the final flat section to cement the stage win, as Pogacar tried in vain to reduce the gap.
Pogacar’s teammate Isaac del Toro remained third overall with a fifth-place finish in the stage.
Frenchman Paul Seixas, who finished fourth yesterday, sits 20 seconds behind Mexico’s Del Toro in the overall standings.
Evenepoel’s teammate Florian Lipowitz, who was fifth in the general classification before the stage, had to withdraw from the race following a crash on a right-hand bend just over six kilometres from the finish.
The 25-year-old rider suffered a right collarbone injury, race organisers said in their daily Press release.
Evenepoel, who had shared leadership duties with Lipowitz during the race, expressed his sadness for his teammate.
“He will be very missed in the team,” he said. “It’s a big shame for us as a team to lose him because he was obviously doing a very good Tour de France. It’s an extra-sad moment.”
The race continues today with a 174.7km flat ride from Chambery to Voiron.
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