ROUEN, France :Belgium’s Remco Evenepoel has the yellow jersey in his sights as the leading contenders for the Tour de France are set to face their first major test of this year’s race with a time trial around Caen in the fifth stage on Wednesday.
The first of the two time trials will feature 200 metres of climbing over the 33km stage in the Normandy countryside.
“It’s very flat. We’ve got a course that’s going to be extremely rolling,” race director Thierry Gouvenou said. “Among the favourites, there may be some time to lose on this stage.”
Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step), a two-time time trial world champion, is the overwhelming favourite for the stage, especially after Italy’s Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers) and Switzerland’s Stefan Bissegger (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) withdrew on Saturday.
“I can’t wait for tomorrow. It’s clear that the legs are there, and I hope I’ll have the same tomorrow,” Evenepoel told reporters after the fourth stage.
The double Olympic champion claimed his sole Tour de France win in a time trial last year but is already trailing reigning champion Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) by 58 seconds and two-time Tour winner Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) by 50 seconds in the overall standings.
“I think we can make up the 58 seconds,” Evenepoel said. “Tomorrow suits me very well. I’m going to push as hard as I can and I hope that it will be enough to maybe go for the yellow jersey.”
Slovenia’s Pogacar, who secured his 100th career win on Tuesday, will also be closely watched after his time trial at last month’s Criterium du Dauphine, during which he lost 48 seconds to Evenepoel and 28 to Vingegaard over 17.4km
“Tomorrow is the perfect time trial for him. He can maybe take some seconds back, without a doubt. He’s the best time trialist in the world,” Pogacar said of Evenepoel. “Tomorrow I will go full gas from start to finish line and see where this places me.”
