Will Tadej Pogacar skip the Tour de France for the first time since 2019? According to Patrick Evenepoel, manager and father of Remco Evenepoel, it is a real possibility that the four-time winner will pass on La Grande Boucle in 2026.
Evenepoel appeared on the Walloon broadcaster RTBF to discuss the newly unveiled route of next year’s Tour de France. There, he expressed doubts about Pogacar's participation. "From what I hear, it must be very tough. But are you sure Pogacar is going? You keep talking about Pogacar, but I don’t get the impression he’s going to the Tour this year. He wants to ride the Giro and the Vuelta. That’s the feeling coming from within the peloton," he said.
So far, it mostly seems to be rumors with no concrete evidence. Nevertheless, it is plausible that the two-time world champion will not race the Tour next year. This year, he has already indicated he did not enjoy racing in France. He has also hinted multiple times at an early retirement.
Remco Evenepoel’s chances
The 27-year-old Belgian also spoke about his son’s chances in the upcoming Tour, where individual time trial kilometers have been limited to just 26 kilometers. "You don’t win the Tour in the time trial anyway, but in the mountains. Whether there are 40, 50 or 60 time trial kilometers doesn’t change anything in my opinion. In the final week, you can still have a three-minute lead and lose ten minutes in a stage."
Still, he trusts that Evenepoel can shine again in the Tour with his new team Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe. "Everyone knows he is mentally very strong. He already reached the podium in his first Tour. Last year, he wasn’t ready, that’s clear. I believe that with a very good winter, a very good preparation, and without bad luck, he can perform at one hundred percent in the Tour and achieve a very good result."
