'I need to build on this' - Remco Evenepoel emerges as Tadej Pogačar's main Tour de France challenger

Stage seven of the Tour de France, a third of the way through it, and the Big Four is now the top-four in the race's general classification. First is UAE-Team Emirates’s Tadej Pogačar, but his closest rival, 33 seconds back, is not defending champion Jonas Vingegaard, rather Remco Evenepoel, winner of the 25km seventh stage time trial. 

Although he won't say it so explicitly, the Soudal Quick-Step rider might be believing that it will be him, not Vingegaard, who turns out to be Pogačar’s biggest rival in this Tour. 

It’s not exactly what he said after winning the race against the clock by 12 seconds from Pogačar, but the way he moved afterwards, shuffling along the various media outlets with a swagger in his step and a friendly, jovial smile prefacing every answer. Evenepoel, a man whose emotions are often visible on the exterior, lets his body language do its own communicating, and the 24-year-old is exuding confidence and belief. 

After completing the Grand Tour stage trilogy – wins in the trio of three-week races – Evenepoel is now eyeing a strong placing in his debut Tour. 

"We always said top-five is the main goal, but of course now being one week into the race and sitting second, with a bit of a margin on third and fourth, it’s something we should try to defend. We will have to see how the legs will be in week two and three.”

He’s right to be optimistic. The Belgian put 34 seconds into Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe’s Primož Roglič, and an extra three seconds into Visma-Lease a Bike’s Vingegaard. The time gap to the former was more or less predicted, but the difference to Vingegaard was a bonus few had envisaged. Ahead of the second weekend of racing, Evenepoel hasn’t ceded any time to Vingegaard in neither the Classic-like stages nor the brief first foray into the Alps, and as a result of his time trial, has a lead of 42 seconds to the Dane; he has 1-03 over Roglič.

“I honestly expected Tadej to be pretty close to me as he’s one of the best time trialists in Grand Tour racing – he’s a very difficult guy to beat,” Evenepoel said. “[The gap to] Primož is more or less the same as in the Dauphiné [in June], even though that was a bit longer in distance, so I can be happy. The time gaps I didn’t focus on, I just wanted to win the stage. There are always gaps in TTs, the bigger the better of course, so I need to be pleased and happy with the result today and build on this one.”

Towards the end of his ride, disaster almost struck for Evenepoel when his chain slipped. “It was exactly the same sound as a quick puncture, a small explosion of the tyre, and I thought that was that for me," he said afterwards. 

Within seconds, however, his chain had remounted, the brief mechanical fixing itself. “It was a moment of distraction, something that normally doesn’t happen to me, and it was clear I was in shock,” Evenepoel said. “Maybe it cost me three to four seconds in the result.”

Second in the GC at this juncture for Evenepoel was not so unexpected given the type of stages, but the time gaps to Vingegaard and Roglič are greater than anticipated. Stage nine’s gravel stage in and around Troyes is the next day for differences to be made among the main protagonists. “Sunday’s a tough stage,” he said. “I have to admit some sectors are very hard with some entrances… It’s important to be in a good position all the time to enter the sectors. 

"Between the favourites, if things happen in a normal way, there shouldn’t be too big gaps or maybe no gaps, but for sure we have to be focused and ready.” Similar to crosswind or cobbled days, these are stages that can be as dangerous as excursions into the high mountains. “It’s not a stage that can make someone win the Tour, but if you have bad luck or a wrong moment, it could make you lose the Tour," he added.

Invigorated in his white jersey as the race’s best young rider, Evenepoel has enjoyed an opening week that is as good as he could have hoped. “It’s been a lovely experience,” he smiled. “To have a stage win in my first Tour is very special. I’m pleased and honoured to be with the biggest and best GC riders of the last editions. I’m proud and happy about being here.”