Remco Evenepoel claimed victory in the individual time trial on stage five of the Tour de France, while Tadej Pogacar took over the yellow jersey from Mathieu van der Poel.
The Belgian rider, who holds both the world and Olympic titles in the time trial discipline, showcased his dominance on the 33km course around Caen with an impressive ride.
Racing for Soudal Quick-Step, Evenepoel averaged 54 km/h, finishing 16 seconds ahead of Slovenia’s Pogacar. Italy’s Edoardo Affini secured third place, trailing by 33 seconds.
“I gained time at every checkpoint. My pacing was spot on, and everything came together perfectly. I’m really pleased,” said Evenepoel.
“I focused on gaining as much time as possible to improve my position in the General Classification. It feels similar to last year’s situation, so I’m happy with that progress. This is a significant step towards the podium, but the race is far from over.
“Everyone knows what challenges lie ahead in the coming weeks. One day, I aim to win the Tour, but this year is a bit too soon.”
Pogacar also had a strong performance, benefiting from the struggles of his main rival in the overall standings, Jonas Vingegaard.
The two-time Tour champion from Denmark finished 13th in the time trial, losing over a minute to Pogacar, who now leads the overall classification. Evenepoel moved into second place overall, 42 seconds behind Pogacar.
Vingegaard currently sits fourth in the standings, just 14 seconds behind promising French rider Kevin Vauquelin, who holds third place. Van der Poel dropped to sixth after finishing 18th in the stage.
Pogacar’s achievement marks the first time since 1970 that a rider has held the yellow, green, and polka-dot jerseys simultaneously at this point in the Tour — a feat last accomplished by Belgian legend Eddy Merckx.
Stage six on Thursday covers a challenging 201.5 km route from Bayeux to Vire Normandie, featuring six categorized climbs.
