Remco Evenepoel: "Tomorrow will be the first big test"

June 12 ^th 2025 - 17:49

"I don't really have an explanation for what happened when I fell in the finale. But my hands were really wet and I lost my grip on the handlebars. In any case, I'm not in any pain, I just have a graze on my right knee, but it won't affect me going forward. We'll need to be ready for tomorrow, as it will be the first big test in the battle we're going to face over the next three days.

At first, I didn't realise that Benjamin Thomas was only 1'50" behind in the overall standings, so Lidl-Trek asked us to join the chase. We went for it because it was a good idea, and it also allowed us to ride at the front, away from any trouble.

The final climb is maybe twenty minutes of effort at most, which is nothing compared to what we'll have on Saturday. In any case, there will certainly be a lot of riders trying to break away, so it will be very lively at the start. And then we'll see who's in great shape and who's not quite so good."