Evenepoel crushes Tour de France time trial, Pogacar second

Remco Evenepoel delivered a commanding performance on Stage 16 of the Tour de France, winning the race's sole individual time trial with a dominant display. The Belgian rider, already a triple world champion and Olympic champion in the discipline, left his competitors trailing on the challenging 26-kilometer course.

Evenepoel, riding in the rainbow jersey, completed the hilly stage in 32 minutes and 19 seconds. He finished 28 seconds ahead of his closest rival, Tadej Pogacar of UAE Emirates. Danish rider Mattias Skjelmose of Lidl-Trek also impressed, securing third place and finishing just over a minute behind Evenepoel.

The victory solidifies Evenepoel's status as the world's premier time trialist and marks a significant achievement in this year's Tour de France. His performance on the demanding course, featuring an intermediate Category 2 climb, demonstrated his exceptional strength and tactical execution.

While Evenepoel celebrated a triumphant day, his team, Red Bull, faced a setback. Florian Lipowitz, the team's other leader, crashed heavily on a descent, sustaining injuries that forced him to abandon the race. Lipowitz, who finished third overall in last year's Tour, was able to walk to the ambulance but could not continue.