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

After among the finest begins to a season of his profession, Remco Evenepoel will keep away from competitors altogether till the beginning of the Tour de France, his Purple Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe crew introduced on Monday.

Evenepoel’s final race was Liège-Bastogne-Liège, the place he completed third behind Tadej Pogačar (UAE Crew Emirates-XRG) and Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM) – two rivals he’ll face within the Tour de France, which begins in Barcelona on July 4.

With the Tour Auvergne – Rhône-Alpes off his schedule, Evenepoel is not going to race for 68 days earlier than the Tour. As an alternative, he’ll give attention to restoration, course recons, particular coaching, and a Could altitude camp, per the crew.

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The Dauphiné has traditionally been an vital final step towards making ready for the Tour de France on account of its degree, its place on the calendar and a race tailor-made by the organisers – the ASO places on each races – to current key Tour obstacles upfront.

The Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes is the one race remaining on the calendar that has a crew time trial earlier than the Tour begins, with a 19-kilometre TTT in Barcelona, making it much more uncommon that so many Tour contenders are skipping the race.

Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) raced the Dauphiné earlier than each of his Tour victories (2022 and 2023), whereas Pogačar competed within the Dauphiné earlier than profitable the Tour in 2020 and 2025. He raced the Tour of Slovenia and his nationwide championships earlier than his 2021 victory, and the Giro d’Italia earlier than profitable the 2024 Tour de France.

Evenepoel additionally raced the Dauphiné earlier than ending on the rostrum behind Pogačar and Vingegaard within the 2024 Tour, however will take a really totally different method this yr.

After profitable thrice within the Mallorca Problem, then the Volta Valenciana, Evenepoel competed within the UAE Tour and Volta a Catalunya earlier than a trio of Spring Classics, together with a win within the Amstel Gold Race and a podium within the Tour of Flanders.

„We determined along with Remco to take a break from racing after an intense spring,“ Chief of Sports activities Zak Dempster stated in a press launch. „The objective is for him to reach in Barcelona fully recent. After analysing his 25 race days, we see larger profit in a balanced various program than in including additional race load.“

Evenepoel’s absence within the race previously often called the Dauphiné will depart the sector broad open: Vingegaard is racing within the Giro d’Italia, whereas Pogačar has chosen the Tour de Suisse as his last race earlier than the Tour.

What to learn subsequent

Evenepoel’s teammate Florian Lipowitz, who was the one rider to even come near Pogačar throughout the Tour de Romandie, ending second at 42 seconds within the GC on Sunday, will not race in France earlier than the Tour, both.

The German will take „a brief restoration block“, adopted by an altitude camp in Could, and can race the Tour of Slovenia from June 17-21 earlier than heading to Barcelona.

„Florian has been extraordinarily constant throughout his final three stage races,“ Dempster stated. „We achieved the specified efficiency stimulus this spring, and most significantly, he gained numerous confidence within the path we have mapped out collectively. We are going to now proceed on this path with endurance and consistency over the subsequent two months.“

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