CYCLING: Evenepoel seeking to 'break through ceiling' and challenge Pogacar

Belgian cyclist Remco Evenepoel believes he can mount a serious challenge at next year’s Tour de France, although he acknowledges that dethroning defending champion Tadej Pogacar will be a formidable task.

The 25-year-old former Vuelta a España winner, who claimed Olympic gold medals in both the road race and time trial at last year’s Paris Games, will lead Red Bull–BORA–hansgrohe’s campaign at cycling’s biggest race. He will be joined by German rider Florian Lipowitz as the team targets its first-ever Tour de France title.

Evenepoel and Lipowitz face stiff competition, with Pogacar widely regarded as the overwhelming favorite to secure a record-equalling fifth Tour de France crown.

“I want to be better than him (Pogacar). That’s very difficult, we all know that. But that’s why I came here — to take those steps, to go for it, on it, and over it,” Evenepoel told Belgium’s state-funded sports website Sporza in an interview published Monday.

“That will take a lot of effort, but I’m very motivated. I really needed this new step, joining Red Bull–BORA–hansgrohe, to completely break through a ceiling. I hope to be able to make a big breakthrough this year,” he added.

Evenepoel outpaced Pogacar to win the individual time trial title at the Cycling Road World Championships in September. However, he finished well behind the Slovenian star when they met again at the Giro di Lombardia a few weeks later.

Asked whether he believes he can win the Tour de France, Evenepoel was confident.

“Yes,” he said. “If everything continues to go well, and if I have a really good winter, strong training camps, and get the results I’m aiming for in the spring races.”

“If I can show in Catalonia that I’m there to win, like I was in 2023 heading into the Giro d’Italia, then I definitely think I can reach that level,” he said. “You need a solid foundation before you can work on the high-intensity sessions — the real VO2 max workouts.”

“That’s where I can improve the most. It makes sense because if Tadej attacks, I can follow for a while, but not long enough. That’s what I need to work on now,” Evenepoel added.

Next year’s Tour de France is set to begin in Barcelona on July 4.

-Reporting by Aadi Nair in Nashik, India; Editing by Jamie Freed/Reuters