Remco Evenepoel Withdraws from Tour de France
Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step), the wearer of the white jersey for the best young rider, withdrew from the Tour de France during the 14th stage on Saturday. The double world champion demonstrated signs of struggle early on the Col du Tourmalet, ultimately climbing into his team car approximately 100 kilometers from the finish in Luchon-Superbagnères, appearing visibly emotional., reports 24brussels.
Evenepoel had started the day in third place overall, but his performance had been declining during the previous two stages in the Pyrenees. He became the fourth Belgian rider to exit this year’s Tour, following Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Jasper De Buyst (Lotto), and Steff Cras (TotalEnergies).
In earlier stages, Evenepoel made headlines by winning the fifth stage, an individual time trial in Caen. However, this success did not predict the struggles that followed in the high mountains. He lost three and a half minutes during the climb to Hautacam on Thursday and another two and a half minutes in Friday’s time trial to Peyragudes.
As the race progressed, it became evident that a podium finish in Paris was becoming increasingly unlikely. During Saturday’s route to Superbagnères, the 24-year-old experienced a complete breakdown. He was unable to keep pace during the initial kilometers of the Tourmalet climb, which had previously posed a challenge for him in the 2023 Vuelta. This time, he exited the race in a state of distress, a stark contrast to his earlier recovery where he managed to win two stages.
This marks Evenepoel’s second Tour de France appearance; he finished third in his debut last year. Additionally, this withdrawal marks his third absence during a Grand Tour, as he previously failed to finish the Giro d’Italia in both 2021 and 2023.
