{"id":254091,"date":"2026-07-22T03:25:50","date_gmt":"2026-07-22T03:25:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/07\/22\/remco-evenepoel-is-on-the-rise-but-the-battle-for-the-tour-de-france-podium-is-far-from-settled-analysis\/"},"modified":"2026-07-22T03:25:50","modified_gmt":"2026-07-22T03:25:50","slug":"remco-evenepoel-is-on-the-rise-but-the-battle-for-the-tour-de-france-podium-is-far-from-settled-analysis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/07\/22\/remco-evenepoel-is-on-the-rise-but-the-battle-for-the-tour-de-france-podium-is-far-from-settled-analysis\/","title":{"rendered":"Remco Evenepoel is on the rise but the battle for the Tour de France podium is far from settled \u2013 Analysis"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div id=\"article-body\">\n<p id=\"elk-b436dd96-855f-11f1-b502-a312c1e828b2\"><a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/riders\/remco-evenepoel\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/riders\/remco-evenepoel\/\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/riders\/remco-evenepoel\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Remco Evenepoel<\/a> is the man of the moment at the Tour de France. As I write this from the lobby of a Campanile hotel, not far from Geneva, a series of ring-led chants float in from the car park where the Belgian has gathered his teammates and team staff, telling them how much he loves them and letting rip on a bottle of champagne<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s the second night in three that he has done this, and the second stage in two, with Evenepoel winning back-to-back in this <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/tour-de-france\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/tour-de-france\/\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/tour-de-france\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Tour de France<\/a> either side of the rest day.<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"elk-seasonal\"\/><\/p>\n<aside data-block-type=\"embed\" data-render-type=\"fte\" data-skip=\"dealsy\" data-widget-type=\"seasonal\" class=\"hawk-root\"\/>\n<p id=\"elk-b436dd96-855f-11f1-b502-a312c1e828b2-2\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">What\u2019s more, the rider he has consigned to second place on both occasions is none other than Tadej Poga\u010dar, the cannibalistic four-time champion who, when he\u2019s out for victory, doesn\u2019t usually come up short.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-6 w-full overflow-hidden rounded-[10px] lg:my-8\" data-component-name=\"JwPlayer:Carousel\" data-jwp-carousel=\"\" data-jwp-carousel-payload=\"{&quot;ids&quot;:{&quot;playerID&quot;:&quot;jYDCcabO&quot;,&quot;searchPlaylistID&quot;:&quot;gwjdoYHD&quot;,&quot;divID&quot;:&quot;botr_gwjdoYHD_jYDCcabO_div&quot;,&quot;fallbackPlaylistID&quot;:&quot;gwjdoYHD&quot;,&quot;fallbackDivID&quot;:&quot;botr_gwjdoYHD_jYDCcabO_div&quot;,&quot;key&quot;:&quot;X9\\\/mXVGac0NphghLH9hZaqWA5d3dhAM\\\/Ih07grnEyMLjuO2E&quot;,&quot;tintLogo&quot;:true,&quot;useSearchPlaylist&quot;:false,&quot;enabled&quot;:true},&quot;signPostingEnabled&quot;:true,&quot;signPostingLinkEnabled&quot;:true,&quot;waitForAdLoad&quot;:false,&quot;hidePlayerOnDesktop&quot;:false,&quot;hidePlayerOnMobile&quot;:false,&quot;hidePlayerOnTablet&quot;:false}\">\n<div class=\"flex flex-nowrap items-center justify-between gap-3 bg-zinc-900 px-[14px] py-3\" data-jwp-carousel-header=\"\">\n<div class=\"flex min-w-0 shrink items-center\"><span class=\"inline-flex items-center gap-1.5 text-sm font-article-heading capitalize leading-5 text-white whitespace-nowrap\"><span class=\"jwp-carousel-title-mobile\"\/><span class=\"jwp-carousel-title-desktop\">Latest Videos From<\/span><span class=\"jwp-carousel-brand inline-flex items-center\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"aspect-video w-full min-h-[200px] lg:min-h-[330px] relative overflow-hidden bg-black\" data-jwp-carousel-container=\"\">\n<div class=\"absolute inset-0 size-full items-center justify-center bg-white\" data-jwp-carousel-fallback=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" data-new-v2-image=\"true\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/flexiimages\/gmvwmhupgi1715762145.svg\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/flexiimages\/gmvwmhupgi1715762145.svg\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] max-h-12 w-auto\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">But if you\u2019re sensing a momentum shift in this Tour de France then your radar is very much off. Poga\u010dar botched \u2013 or some would say hardly bothered with \u2013 the sprint atop the Plateau de Solaison on stage 15, and on stage 16 the UAE Team Emirates-XRG leader was beaten on Evenepoel\u2019s home turf, against the clock, in a result that was entirely to be expected.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Not even Evenepoel himself believes the yellow jersey is within his reach in what\u2019s left of this Tour. \u201cTadej is on his planet, with the others behind. I focus on my second place and will do everything to defend it and stay in my second place \u2013 that\u2019s my objective for ending the Tour de France,\u201d Evenepoel stated on Tuesday.<\/p>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet=\"\" class=\"clear-both pt-2 pb-0 mb-4\">\n        <span class=\"&#10;            flex&#10;            after:content-[''] after:flex-1 after:ml-4 after:my-[0.7rem] after:border-t after:border-solid after:border-t-[#ccc]&#10;            before:content-[''] before:flex-1 before:mr-4 before:my-[0.7rem] before:border-t before:border-solid before:border-t-[#ccc]&#10;            font-article-heading pb-0 text-[length:var(--article-river-title--font-size,1em)] uppercase sm:text-[length:var(--article-river-title--font-size,0.875em)] font-bold&#10;        \"><br \/>\n            You may like<br \/>\n        <\/span><\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">With Jonas Vingegaard\u2019s sudden exit on Sunday removing all tension in the battle for the yellow jersey, the final week has become very much a race for second, and a race for the podium.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">In that respect, Evenepoel has seemingly taken a stranglehold on the runner-up spot. Though 4:32 behind Poga\u010dar, he is now 2:19 ahead of third-placed Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) and 2:39 ahead of Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM), after putting more than a minute into both of them in the stage 16 time trial.<\/p>\n<div id=\"slice-container-newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-bhU7iKjC2HfDEHdNrw9h5a\" class=\"slice-container newsletter-inbodyContent-slice newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-bhU7iKjC2HfDEHdNrw9h5a slice-container-newsletterForm\">\n<div data-hydrate=\"true\" class=\"newsletter-form__wrapper newsletter-form__wrapper--inbodyContent\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-form__container\">\n<section class=\"newsletter-form__top-bar\"\/>\n<section class=\"newsletter-form__main-section\">\n<p class=\"newsletter-form__strapline\">The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">It very much feels like Evenepoel is in the ascendancy. Back-to-back stage wins will do that for you. And while he was always expected to <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/pro-cycling\/racing\/tour-de-france-time-trial-world-champion-remco-evenepoel-destroys-race-against-the-clock-and-takes-back-to-back-wins-on-stage-16\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/pro-cycling\/racing\/tour-de-france-time-trial-world-champion-remco-evenepoel-destroys-race-against-the-clock-and-takes-back-to-back-wins-on-stage-16\/\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/pro-cycling\/racing\/tour-de-france-time-trial-world-champion-remco-evenepoel-destroys-race-against-the-clock-and-takes-back-to-back-wins-on-stage-16\/\" rel=\"noopener\">win the time trial<\/a>, the way he was seemingly floating up the double-digit gradients on the Plateau de Solaison on Sunday was a massively encouraging sign after his yo-yoing efforts in the previous mountain stages.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure inline-layout kiosq-b\" data-bordeaux-image-check=\"\" id=\"elk-8b2767c2-8573-11f1-8f78-b94048da1c39\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\" style=\"max-width:2000px;\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\" style=\"padding-top:66.65%;\"> <picture data-new-v2-image=\"true\"><source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/9aiKs5ohZffqkyPFcCEeM8-1200-80.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/9aiKs5ohZffqkyPFcCEeM8-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/9aiKs5ohZffqkyPFcCEeM8-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/9aiKs5ohZffqkyPFcCEeM8-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/9aiKs5ohZffqkyPFcCEeM8-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/9aiKs5ohZffqkyPFcCEeM8-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) crosses the line ahead of Tadej Poga&amp;amp;#269;ar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) on stage 16 of the Tour de France 2026 (Photo by Dario Belingheri\/Getty Images)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/9aiKs5ohZffqkyPFcCEeM8-1200-80.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/9aiKs5ohZffqkyPFcCEeM8-1024-80.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/9aiKs5ohZffqkyPFcCEeM8-970-80.jpg 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/9aiKs5ohZffqkyPFcCEeM8-650-80.jpg 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/9aiKs5ohZffqkyPFcCEeM8-480-80.jpg 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/9aiKs5ohZffqkyPFcCEeM8-320-80.jpg 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)\" loading=\"lazy\" data-new-v2-image=\"true\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/9aiKs5ohZffqkyPFcCEeM8.jpg\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/9aiKs5ohZffqkyPFcCEeM8.jpg\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] inline\"\/>\n<\/picture><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption itemprop=\"caption description\" class=\" inline-layout\"><span class=\"credit\" itemprop=\"copyrightHolder\">(Image credit: Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"elk-a7def868-856d-11f1-b2a9-f55c4ae27c7f\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Evenepoel spoke after the time trial of how his form has been rising in this Tour de France. He made reference to his somewhat controversial lack of racing between the Spring and the Tour, arguing that the first week was about feeling his way into the race and the last week about truly hitting his stride.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">If he\u2019s as good as his word, then you\u2019re looking at your second-place finisher at the Tour de France.<\/p>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet=\"\" class=\"clear-both pt-2 pb-0 mb-4\">\n        <span class=\"&#10;            flex&#10;            after:content-[''] after:flex-1 after:ml-4 after:my-[0.7rem] after:border-t after:border-solid after:border-t-[#ccc]&#10;            before:content-[''] before:flex-1 before:mr-4 before:my-[0.7rem] before:border-t before:border-solid before:border-t-[#ccc]&#10;            font-article-heading pb-0 text-[length:var(--article-river-title--font-size,1em)] uppercase sm:text-[length:var(--article-river-title--font-size,0.875em)] font-bold&#10;        \"><br \/>\n            What to read next<br \/>\n        <\/span><\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">And yet, this is far, far from a foregone conclusion.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Three big mountain stages await and they will be a stern test of Evenepoel\u2019s credentials, both physically and tactically.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">On the physical side, it\u2019s fair to point out that Evenepoel has not always been the most consistent high-mountain climber. He has won the Vuelta a Espa\u00f1a and podiumed at the Tour, so his GC credentials cannot seriously be questioned, but he is prone to having bad days as well as good days. We\u2019ve seen it already in this Tour, sometimes within the same stage.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">On that note, it was interesting that Poga\u010dar noted that Sunday\u2019s stage, boiling down to one final climb, suited Evenepoel, but that he struggled comparatively on Saturday\u2019s multi-mountain stage in the Vosges. Stages 18 and 19 of this Tour, finishing at Orci\u00e8res-Merlette and Alpe d\u2019Huez respectively, look similar but the final mountain stage on Saturday is a different beast, with three hors-cat\u00e9gorie climbs and one category-1 climb on the menu.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">It\u2019s a crazy stage, where any weakness can be punished by minutes, and it\u2019s a risk not just for Evenepoel but for all involved.<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"elk-a7def8d6-856d-11f1-9f02-fb31d4ee4772\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\"\/><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"race-within-a-race-3\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8216;Race within a race&#8217;<\/h2>\n<p id=\"elk-a7def93a-856d-11f1-b0c4-b3c611a5d5cd\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Realistically, there are two other fighters in the battle for the final two spots on the podium: Del Toro and Seixas (Juan Ayuso is two minutes further back after the TT and appears to be on the decline). And like Evenepoel, they too have been inconsistent in this Tour. Del Toro won a stage early on and has been right up there in the past two mountain stages, but the Mexican has also been dropped from the GC group on numerous occasions \u2013 in the Massif Central on stage 10 he lost a minute to Evenepoel and Seixas.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">For his part, Seixas, who rode a contained start to the Tour, appeared to be emerging from his shell and moving through the gears in the Vosges on stage 14, only to slip back and lose that momentum at Solaison on stage 15. With Seixas, the uncertainty is even greater, given this is, remarkably, his debut Grand Tour. Whatever happens now, it has been a success for the teenager and every day is effectively a step further into the unknown at this point.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">And so we have three riders who, unlike Poga\u010dar, are unpredictable in terms of their <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/tag\/performance\/\" data-auto-tag-linker=\"true\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/tag\/performance\/\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/tag\/performance\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">performance<\/a> in the remaining mountains. Evenepoel certainly holds the upper hand by far, but big swings in fortune would not be a surprise, and so it still feels open at this point.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">And then there\u2019s the tactical equation.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure inline-layout kiosq-b\" data-bordeaux-image-check=\"\" id=\"elk-8b27688a-8573-11f1-980c-49b60063f5df\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\" style=\"max-width:2000px;\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\" style=\"padding-top:66.65%;\"> <picture data-new-v2-image=\"true\"><source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SnfUV574FywyL3UXRCPGxQ-1200-80.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SnfUV574FywyL3UXRCPGxQ-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SnfUV574FywyL3UXRCPGxQ-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SnfUV574FywyL3UXRCPGxQ-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SnfUV574FywyL3UXRCPGxQ-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SnfUV574FywyL3UXRCPGxQ-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Florian Lipowitz of Germany and Remco Evenepoel of Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe earlier in the 2026 Tour de France (Photo by Tim de Waele\/Getty Images)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SnfUV574FywyL3UXRCPGxQ-1200-80.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SnfUV574FywyL3UXRCPGxQ-1024-80.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SnfUV574FywyL3UXRCPGxQ-970-80.jpg 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SnfUV574FywyL3UXRCPGxQ-650-80.jpg 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SnfUV574FywyL3UXRCPGxQ-480-80.jpg 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SnfUV574FywyL3UXRCPGxQ-320-80.jpg 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)\" loading=\"lazy\" data-new-v2-image=\"true\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SnfUV574FywyL3UXRCPGxQ.jpg\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SnfUV574FywyL3UXRCPGxQ.jpg\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] inline\"\/>\n<\/picture><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption itemprop=\"caption description\" class=\" inline-layout\"><span class=\"caption-text\">Florian Lipowitz of Germany and Remco Evenepoel of Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe earlier in the 2026 Tour de France <\/span><span class=\"credit\" itemprop=\"copyrightHolder\">(Image credit: Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"elk-8b27690c-8573-11f1-a31d-73bb3cedba45\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">In this respect, once the glow of his time trial victory wears off, Evenepoel might start to rue the day his best teammate, <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/pro-cycling\/teams-riders\/its-a-bizarre-situation-red-bull-bora-hansgrohe-encounters-mixed-emotions-as-evenepoel-soars-to-second-stage-win-and-lipowitz-crashes-out\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/pro-cycling\/teams-riders\/its-a-bizarre-situation-red-bull-bora-hansgrohe-encounters-mixed-emotions-as-evenepoel-soars-to-second-stage-win-and-lipowitz-crashes-out\/\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/pro-cycling\/teams-riders\/its-a-bizarre-situation-red-bull-bora-hansgrohe-encounters-mixed-emotions-as-evenepoel-soars-to-second-stage-win-and-lipowitz-crashes-out\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Florian Lipowitz, exited the race in a crash<\/a>. The pair have had their frictions but Evenepoel had already taken enough of a nudge in front for Lipowitz to declare his loyalty to his teammate\u2019s cause even in advance of the TT, and he was set to be a crucial crutch in the final week.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">With Jai Hindley, Red Bull\u2019s next-best climber, not firing on all cylinders, this leaves Evenepoel somewhat isolated in the closing stages. Now that might not ordinarily be a problem if this was a Poga\u010dar vs Vingegaard battle, and Evenepoel was in another race behind them, but the latter\u2019s absence has upended the tactical complexion of this race.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">We saw it immediately on the climb to the Plateau de Solaison. Poga\u010dar, without his main rival to worry about, immediately turned domestique and worked almost the entire climb for Del Toro. It\u2019s bizarre seeing the yellow jersey do this, but it puts Del Toro in a luxury position.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">The other factor to consider is the white jersey, for which Del Toro and Seixas (and also Ayuso) are eligible.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">\u201cIt will be a nice race within a race,\u201d said Evenepoel, who will surely hope that Del Toro and Seixas simply ride against one another, with that white jersey and the final podium spot effectively settled in the same breath.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">When the organisers pitched this Tour route, they spoke of \u2018suspense to the end\u2019, and compared to the two Alpine stages that come before it, that final one over the Croix de Der, T\u00e9l\u00e9graphe, Galibier and Sarenne very much feels like judge, jury and executioner. It may not represent that in the fight for the yellow jersey anymore, but it still does in a fight for the podium that very much remains open-ended and intriguing.<\/p>\n<p id=\"elk-8b7c9214-856f-11f1-8d73-d77ca6553931\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\"><em><strong>The world\u2019s biggest bike race deserves world-class coverage. Subscribe to Cyclingnews for unlimited access to our unrivalled reporting of the 2026 Tour de France. From Barcelona through to Paris, our experienced team will bring you breaking news, expert insight, and in-depth coverage from every stage as the battle for the yellow jersey plays out. Plus, access the Cyclingnews app to follow the action on the go! <\/strong><\/em><a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/subscription-paid\/?utm_source=Referral+link&amp;utm_medium=Website&amp;utm_campaign=PreTDF26\" target=\"_blank\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/subscription-paid\/?utm_source=Referral+link&amp;utm_medium=Website&amp;utm_campaign=PreTDF26\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/subscription-paid\/?utm_source=Referral+link&amp;utm_medium=Website&amp;utm_campaign=PreTDF26\" rel=\"noopener\"><u><em><strong>Find out more.<\/strong><\/em><\/u><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/pro-cycling\/teams-riders\/remco-evenepoel-is-on-the-rise-but-the-battle-for-the-tour-de-france-podium-is-far-from-settled-analysis\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Remco Evenepoel is the man of the moment at the Tour de France. As I write this from the lobby of a Campanile hotel, not far from Geneva, a series of ring-led chants float in from the car park where the Belgian has gathered his teammates and team staff, telling them how much he loves [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":254092,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6804],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-254091","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-cycling"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/254091","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=254091"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/254091\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/254092"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=254091"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=254091"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=254091"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}