No racing for Remco Evenepoel for a full 69 days before Tour de France to start 'completely fresh'

Remco Evenepoel will take an extended break from racing ahead of the Tour de France, with his Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe team confirming he will not compete for a full 69 days before the race begins in Barcelona on 4 July. This decision comes after a strong start to the season, including victories in the Mallorca Challenge and Volta Valenciana, as well as podium finishes in major Spring Classics such as the Amstel Gold Race and Tour of Flanders. Evenepoel’s last race was Liège-Bastogne-Liège, where he finished third behind rivals Tadej Pogačar and Paul Seixas, both of whom will also contest the Tour. The Belgian star will skip the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, a race traditionally seen as a key preparation event for the Tour de France, partly due to its challenging course and timing. Instead, Evenepoel will focus on recovery, specific training, course reconnaissance, and an altitude camp in May. This marks a departure from previous years when he and other top contenders, including Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard, used races like the Dauphiné as a final tune-up before the Tour. The team believes that a balanced programme without additional racing will better serve Evenepoel’s performance goals. Zak Dempster, Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe’s Chief of Sports, emphasised that the choice to rest Evenepoel was made collaboratively, highlighting the benefits of arriving at the Tour in peak condition without the fatigue of a packed race schedule. Dempster noted that after analysing Evenepoel’s 25 race days this season, the team concluded that a period of rest and focused preparation would be more advantageous than further competitive exposure. This strategic approach could influence how other contenders plan their lead-up to the Tour, especially as several key riders are also opting out of traditional preparatory races. Evenepoel’s absence leaves the field more open in the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, with Vingegaard competing in the Giro d’Italia and Pogačar racing the Tour de Suisse as their final tune-ups. Evenepoel’s teammate Florian Lipowitz will also avoid racing in France before the Tour, instead opting for recovery, an altitude camp, and participation in the Tour of Slovenia. The team’s approach reflects a broader trend among elite riders to carefully manage their race calendars to peak for the Tour de France, underscoring the importance of strategic rest and targeted training in modern cycling.