Remco Evenepoel presents himself at the 2026 Tour de France with crystal clear ideas. At his third attempt at the Grande Boucle, his first wearing the Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe jersey, the Belgian champion spoke at the press conference reserved for the race's main protagonists, addressing all the most anticipated topics: the opening time trial, shared leadership with Florian Lipowitz, and personal objectives.

Lucid, confident in himself, and never banal, Evenepoel confirmed he wants to be a protagonist from day one. The Tour will start on Saturday with a team time trial on the roads of Barcelona, and the Belgian doesn't hide his ambitions.

«My objective is to win a stage, that's for sure. I want to win the time trial as well and claim the yellow jersey after the team time trial».

Words that confirm how Evenepoel wants to attack right from the start, exploiting terrain that has always represented one of his strengths.

The Olympic and world champion in the discipline then explained how his approach to the opening test will change, which will be contested under the new team time trial regulations.

«The approach is almost the same as an individual time trial. With the new rules it's a bit simpler to define roles within the team. From a tactical standpoint something changes compared to a traditional time trial, but overall it's not that different».

One of the most discussed topics concerns the coexistence with Florian Lipowitz, called upon alongside Evenepoel to lead Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe in the general classification.

For the Belgian, however, there would be no problem in this regard. «We've known for some time that we'll start together as leaders. We're ready. We've already raced together at the Volta a Catalunya and on that occasion there were days when we had to work for each other and make sacrifices. It worked well».

A conviction shared by Lipowitz as well, present at his side during the meeting with the press: «We work well together. We'll demonstrate that we know how to collaborate and support each other».

The team's objective is clear: play their cards all the way to Paris with two riders capable of remaining in the top positions of the general classification.

One of the most particular moments of the conference came when Evenepoel was asked what he thought he could learn from his new teammate. The Belgian's response, true to his direct character, was not long in coming: «We have two leaders. We are two different people and we do things our own way. I'm happy with how I am and I don't want to change anything».

Then Evenepoel added, with a touch of irony. «Lipowitz is also what he is and I believe he doesn't want to change anything about himself. I find this question a bit strange. If I asked a journalist what he would like to learn from another journalist, I would be insinuating that something is wrong. That's why this seems like a particular question to me».

While pointing to Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard as the main favorites, Evenepoel doesn't give up on his own ambitions. «Both of us want to finish on the podium behind Pogacar and Vingegaard. But we also want to win as many stages as possible».

A statement that perfectly captures the philosophy with which the Belgian approaches this Grande Boucle: being competitive in the general classification without giving up the possibility of making a mark in individual stages.

The Tour has yet to start, but Evenepoel has already made one thing clear: he didn't come to Barcelona to play a supporting role.