Remco Evenepoel secured his second consecutive stage victory in the Tour de France, successfully narrowing Tadej Pogacar’s overall lead during the stage 16 time trial from Evian to Thonon-les-Bains.
The Belgian, who is also the reigning Olympic champion in both road racing and time trial, triumphed on his national day, finishing 28 seconds ahead of Pogacar. This victory reduced the Slovenian’s lead to just over four and a half minutes, marking Evenepoel’s third career win in a Tour time trial.
“It’s been a while since I’ve competed at this level, so being in such great shape during the Tour feels incredible,” Evenepoel commented. He praised Pogacar, referring to him as a “superstar,” and acknowledged the challenges still ahead in the race, stating, “It’s not over yet. There are still some hard stages to come.”
Pogacar’s teammate at UAE Emirates, Isaac del Toro, continues to hold third place, but Paul Seixas has closed the gap, trailing by just 20 seconds after gaining time on del Toro during the time trial.
Evenepoel’s achievement was overshadowed by the unfortunate exit of his teammate Florian Lipowitz, who finished third in the Tour the previous year. Lipowitz was forced to withdraw following a crash, which left him with a broken collarbone after falling on a tight turn while descending. He is the second podium finisher from 2025 to leave the race in a short span, following Jonas Vingegaard’s departure just days earlier.
As the race progressed, discussions continued regarding the ITA drug testing agency’s controversial late-night testing procedures. Last Sunday, both Vingegaard and Pogacar were subjected to testing outside the standard hours of 6am to 11pm, leading to significant criticism, despite the tests being sanctioned by the Paris prosecutor’s office. Jonathan Vaughters, manager of the EF Education EasyPost team, expressed concerns about the ease of obtaining such warrants, indicating that a French judge unfamiliar with cycling could be easily persuaded.
Vaughters emphasized his support for the ITA, acknowledging their overall effectiveness but questioning the implications of the warrant acquired from the judge. He remarked, “I suspect the threshold for obtaining that warrant isn’t particularly high.”
Pascal Chanteur, vice-president of the CPA (the professional riders’ association), also voiced skepticism regarding the actions of the Paris prosecutor, asserting that the judge lacked sufficient knowledge about cycling. He noted that while the CPA supports night-time testing when justified, the timing of the tests on Vingegaard and Pogacar seemed arbitrary and was likely due to the ITA’s resource limitations.
The French sports code mandates that testing must be conducted in a manner that balances the rights of athletes with the goals of anti-doping efforts. In a statement to Reuters in May, Olivier Banuls, the ITA’s director of testing, mentioned that while extensive testing is conducted, mass testing is not feasible as it does not yield effective results.
The results of the tests on both Vingegaard and Pogacar remain undisclosed, leaving the Tour in a precarious position as it continues amidst the ongoing scrutiny, particularly as Pogacar approaches what could be his record-equalling fifth Tour victory.
