Evenepoel: Lighter & Ready for Tour de France 2024
- Remco Evenepoel is gearing up for the Tour de France, with the Critérium du dauphiné serving as his final planning race.
- Last year, Evenepoel's Dauphiné preparation was hampered by fractures sustained at Itzulia Basque Country.
- Coach Koen Pelgrim offered insights into Evenepoel's progress, noting notable improvements.
Remco Evenepoel is primed for the Tour de France, with the Critérium du Dauphiné serving as his crucial planning race. His coach reveals meaningful improvements compared to last year, despite facing setbacks.Evenepoel is reportedly lighter,a positive indicator for his performance in the major cycling event. This year, all eyes are on Evenepoel as he gears up to compete against top contenders like Pogačar and Vingegaard. Coach Pelgrim highlights that consistent training and the right altitude camp have allowed him to push further. The team hopes to see those final percentage gains needed for victory. For more on Evenepoel’s progress and the upcoming Tour, check out News Directory 3. Discover what’s next …
Evenepoel Aims for Tour de France Success After Dauphiné Prep
Updated June 04, 2025
Remco Evenepoel is gearing up for the Tour de France, with the Critérium du dauphiné serving as his final planning race. According to his Soudal-QuickStep team, Evenepoel is “a step ahead of last year,” despite another season disrupted by crashes. The prestigious eight-day stage race in France will be a key indicator of his form against rivals such as Tadej Pogacar and Jonas vingegaard.
Last year, Evenepoel’s Dauphiné preparation was hampered by fractures sustained at Itzulia Basque Country. This year, a dooring incident sidelined him until April. Now, Evenepoel is focused on finding his peak form for the Tour de France, aiming to improve his chances in the major cycling event.
Coach Koen Pelgrim offered insights into Evenepoel’s progress, noting notable improvements. “Remco is definitely better on schedule than last year,” Pelgrim said. He added that the rest period after spring competitions allowed evenepoel to begin altitude training at a higher level.
“He is now one step further than last season just before the Dauphiné.but last year, Remco improved a lot between the Dauphiné and the Tour. So we’ll have to see if Remco is still in a better position at the start of the Tour,” said the coach.
Pelgrim emphasized the importance of consistent training, acknowledging the setback of Evenepoel’s four-month absence from cycling. “You can get back to a good level relatively quickly, but it’s those last few percentage points that are crucial,” he stated. The team hopes evenepoel can gain those final percentage points in the coming weeks, but Pelgrim tempered expectations, saying, “We cannot do magic.”
A measurable improvement,according to Pelgrim,is Evenepoel’s weight.He is reportedly 1.5 kilograms lighter than at the same time last year, a positive sign for his performance.”When you have to lose a lot of weight in a short period, it always takes its toll on your strength, recovery or even both,” Pelgrim explained.
Evenepoel’s team for the Dauphiné includes Pascal Eenkhoorn, Valentin Paret-Peintre, Casper Pedersen, Pepijn Reinderink, Maximilian Schachmann, and Louis Vervaeke. Evenepoel remains cautiously optimistic about his prospects against formidable competitors.
“I’m happy to be back in action with the team. I had a solid altitude training camp in Sierra Nevada and now I’m ready for the Dauphiné,” Evenepoel said in a team release. “I can’t say that I’m going there with any specific goals, as the most critically important thing will be to see how the form is.”
What’s next
as the Tour de France approaches, Evenepoel hopes to narrow the gap with Pogačar and Vingegaard. While aiming higher, Pelgrim acknowledged the extraordinary level of his rivals, suggesting a third-place finish might be a realistic goal for Evenepoel this year.