SerpApi.Org
There was to be no press conference with yellow jersey wearer Tadej Pogačar on the final rest day of the Tour de France. But Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe did open its virtual doors to the press on Monday. Remco Evenepoel was still in high spirits after winning the mountain stage to Plateau de Solaison just under 24 hours earlier. Tuesday brings another opportunity with the individual time trial.
Evenepoel’s victory may have been momentous, but it was certainly overshadowed by two other news stories on Sunday. The late-night doping test on Pogačar and Vingegaard, and the news of the latters crash and withdrawal. Pogačar, as the yellow jersey, has to attend a brief press conference every day during the race, so skipping the rest day obligation to speak with the media is not surprising.
Evenepoel was available however. The Belgian rider from Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe went into the rest day—and the rest night— as a stage winner. “I didn’t have to worry about anything. I was able to sleep normally and soundly. First, I watched the World Cup final, which went into extra time, so falling asleep was delayed a bit because of the Spaniards and Argentines. But in the end, it was a nice way to unwind and settle in for a peaceful night’s sleep,” said the soccer fan.
With this mindset, Evenepoel heads into Week 3 of the Tour de France
Evenepoel is currently in second place, but Vingegaard's misfortune isn’t on his mind. “Honestly, no. That’s a situation you can’t count on. My mindset is to hold onto that second place, starting with the time trial. After that, there are two relatively calmer days for the general classification contenders, which usually end up as a breakaway scenario, and maybe even a sprint finish.”
Evenepoel isn't quite convinced that Pogacar actually sees him as a rival. "I don't think he necessarily needs to worry about that. He doesn't need to worry about anyone. I'm just going to do my best and hopefully ride the third week of my life to defend our spot on the podium."
"For me, tomorrow is especially important. I'm going to try to conserve my energy as much as possible over the next two days so that I can be at my best again on Friday and Saturday to defend that second-place position. I'm not going to get carried away or start dreaming of winning the Tour just yet; under normal circumstances, that's way out of reach," he realises.
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Evenepoel on weight loss and its impact during time trials
But first, the time trial—which, in theory, should suit him perfectly. However, the weight loss that helped secure his victory on Sunday could also slow him down between Évian-les-Bains and Thonon-les-Bains. “I haven’t really thought about that yet. Of course, the first 10 kilometers are uphill, so that won’t necessarily be a disadvantage. It’s not a climb like yesterday’s, but it’s still nearly 430 meters of elevation gain over about ten kilometers. You can definitely call that a climb.”
"The difference isn't really that noticeable. The feel on the time trial bike actually stays the same. The biggest difference is that I can reach the same speed with slightly less power, because the whole point of being lighter is simply to go just as fast with less power—both uphill and on the flats,” Evenepoel explains.
"The big difference lies in the intermediate stages: I’m now getting through the day with a much lower average wattage than I would if I were 2 to 3 kilograms heavier. In terms of energy consumption (kilojoules), that figure is actually significantly lower at the end of the stage than it was, say, two years ago. These are small details you don’t necessarily feel on any given day, but you do over the course of three weeks. So I don’t notice it directly on the time-trial bike itself, but I do notice it in my total energy expenditure over the entire Tour.”
"From the 2022 Vuelta, I know my time trial back then was pretty good too, so normally things should be fine. A slightly narrower bike is probably a bit more aerodynamic as well," Evenepoel laughs. “But no, I’m confident we’re in good shape. In terms of absolute wattage, I might lose a bit, but overall it’s a time trial with a section uphill, a section downhill, and the last 9 kilometers more or less flat. So normally, that should stay well balanced.”
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Evenepoel: 'The descent is on the edge'
So what differences does Evenepoel expect at Lake Geneva? “That’s a tough question. A 4% climb can make a surprisingly big difference, especially when you have to ride alone. In the peloton, you benefit a lot from drafting, but of course that’s not the case here. It’s going to be unique: there are quite a few intermediate sprints along the way. One halfway through, one at the top, and one after the descent with about 8 kilometers to go.'
"The time gaps at the top won't normally change much from here on out until the finish. But it really depends on the day after the rest day. Some riders handle that better than others, so there could be some surprising results. It's hard to put an exact number on it," he explains.
"It's a beautiful course, and I'm fully focused on winning the stage. The descent is a bit on the edge for a time trial, though: very fast, very technical, and also a bit dangerous. But that's the same for everyone," Evenepoel says, weighing his options. “You have to go full throttle right from the start and pace yourself well, because the final stretch isn’t easy. I’m going to give it my all and try to win.”
