Remco Evenepoel received the primary particular person time trial within the 2024 Tour de France, after beating present race chief, Tadej Pogacar, within the 23.5km “race of reality”.
In his debut Tour, the previous Vuelta a España champion Evenepoel has to this point proven himself to be the largest impediment to Pogacar taking a 3rd yellow jersey in Good, with the defending champion, Jonas Vingegaard nonetheless wanting his greatest kind.
“I used to be on day,” Evenepoel mentioned. “The climb was really fairly powerful. “I wished to begin quick and needed to preserve one thing for the climb, which wasn’t simple, however I loved each metre of this time trial. Popping out with the win is just superb.”
On the rolling course by the vineyards of the Cote d’Or, the Soudal Fast-Step rider, watched by his whole household on the roadside, was the quickest at each time examine, however as he entered the ultimate 3km, the Belgian slowed when he appeared to have mechanical issues.
“I used to be fairly positive I had a puncture, however perhaps someone within the public dropped a glass or one thing,” he mentioned of his momentary pause. “It was precisely the identical sound as a puncture, so I used to be a bit scared.”
However the 24-year-old world time trial champion, now a winner of levels in all three Grand Excursions, recovered from his scare to beat Pogacar by 12sec and the defending champion, the Visma Lease-a-bike chief, Vingegaard, by 37sec.
“I needed to take dangers as a result of I knew Tadej was fairly near me,” Evenepoel mentioned. “However in the long run victory is superb. Tadej may also do superb time trials in Grand Excursions, so it was a detailed one. However I simply wished to win at present.”
Vingegaard is battling laborious however the double Tour winner has now slipped additional behind Pogacar, and has 1:15 to make as much as his Slovenian rival. Additionally exhibiting higher kind is Primoz Roglic, third within the time trial and now simply 16 seconds behind the Dane.
In a self-discipline dominated by know-how and aerodynamics, energy stays the decisive issue and Evenepoel proved essentially the most adept at that, dashing in direction of Gevrey-Chambertin at 87km an hour.
Vingegaard could have began the stage properly, initially wanting each inch the time triallist that memorably received final yr’s key time trial to Combloux, within the shadow of Mont Blanc, however as he entered the closing kilometres, his lack of laborious racing this spring started to point out.
Little by little, Vingegaard’s hopes of defending his title are ebbing away. Fifty seconds ceded in Valloire, after the stage over the Col du Galibier, have morphed right into a 1:15 deficit to the yellow jersey after the primary particular person time trial.
It was not a terrific afternoon both, for the Ineos Grenadiers, who, had it not been for the valiant effort of Carlos Rodríguez – seventh total after the stage – would have slipped into the ranks of also-rans.
Evenepoel, against this, for a rider whose weak spot was considered racing at excessive altitude, will probably be buoyed up by his efficiency on the Galibier and exhilarated by a time trial victory that clawed again time on UAE Emirates staff chief Pogacar.
But even after growing his benefit over Vingegaard, Pogacar displayed a shocking sense of ennui when requested how he was feeling in regards to the levels to come back.
“This yr’s Tour is a bit unusual,” he mentioned. “There’s nothing to look ahead to. Tomorrow is one other worrying day, then one other worrying day, then the remaining day. Then one other worrying day and one other worrying day.” Evenepoel, nonetheless, described his debut Tour as “a stunning expertise.”
“I believe it’s going properly,” he mentioned. “I’m actually having fun with it and taking a stage win in my first Tour is particular. I’m proud and glad about being right here.”
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