Remco Evenepoel triumphed in the individual time trial at the Tour de France in Thonon les Bains: a particularly sweet victory, because today was Belgian national day. Never so strong, the Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe Flemish rider, capable of inflicting 28" on 26 km to yellow jersey wearer Pogacar. Remco shared the emotion of his triumph with his parents and wife Oumi, his in-laws and brothers, all present to celebrate with him at this moment. "It's incredible - declared Evenepoel, 26 years old, second consecutive victory in this edition of the Tour after the uphill finish at Plateau de Solaison -. There were thousands of fans lining the road, and being here with my whole family makes this day even more special. I read that it had been a while since a Belgian won on national holiday, so I'm proud to be the one".

Then a thought for his teammate Lipowitz, who crashed and withdrew: "I'm very sorry, I wish him the best and hope it's nothing too serious".

Evenepoel emphasized with extreme gratitude the support of Specialized, his technical sponsor, for the equipment provided for the time trial. "There was a lot of work behind the scenes. Winning with a performance like this is fantastic".

Then he went into detail about the time trial, revealing that he had to manage his strength from the first kilometers and comparing the effort to the 2025 World Championship in Rwanda, which he won decisively. "I pushed to the maximum, but I also had to hold back. Pogacar was impressive too: maintaining the gap from him was a great challenge".

The road to Paris is still long: "There are difficult stages to face – Remco continues, second in the standings 4'32" behind Pogacar -. I'm not thinking about the final victory, but only about maintaining my position. It's an honor to race against Pogacar, one of the greatest of all time".

This victory in the time trial (fourth stage victory at the Tour, the third in a race against the clock) is a triumph not only for him, but for the entire Belgian nation. With a mix of pride and humility, Remco demonstrated himself to be an example of sportsmanship and dedication. And with morale sky-high, the final week of the Tour and new challenges await him.