Evenepoel moves to third overall in Tour de France, expresses optimism

Remco Evenepoel climbed to third place overall in the Tour de France after a strong performance in the tenth stage. The Belgian rider is now just 30 seconds behind second-placed Jonas Vingegaard, signaling his growing contention in the race.

“

I felt intense head pain, so I couldn't think clearly. I just had to pedal, and that was the right decision. I fought for two or three minutes, but in the end, I finished second.

Evenepoel described experiencing "intense head pain" during a difficult moment on the stage, which affected his clarity. Despite the discomfort, he focused on pedaling and ultimately secured second place in the sprint finish. He noted that the "pulls" during the stage were "very annoying" and made things tough, especially when he was at the front trying to catch Tadej Pogacar.

“

It was tough, especially because I had just put myself at the front. We wanted to ride as fast as possible to catch Tadej, but I think he still had strength for those last 3 kilometers. We didn't get much benefit with the Lidl-Trek guys again. At least I beat Vingegaard.

Despite the challenges, Evenepoel expressed optimism about his current form. He believes he is not weaker on climbs than before and even considered attacking Pogacar at one point. "At least I beat Vingegaard," he remarked, highlighting his satisfaction with gaining time on a key rival. The rider is looking forward to the remainder of the Tour de France with confidence.

“

I'm not worse on the climbs than before.