July 19, (THEWILL) — Belgian cyclist, Remco Evenepoel, withdrew from the Tour de France during Saturday’s gruelling 14th stage, bringing an abrupt end to his challenge for a podium finish. The 25-year-old Soudal-Quick Step rider, who occupied third position in the general classification, climbed off his bicycle and into the team car halfway up the Col du Tourmalet during the 182.6-kilometre mountain stage from Pau to Superbagnères.
Evenepoel’s departure came after several difficult days in the Pyrenees, where he had lost considerable time on the opening mountain stage and struggled during Friday’s uphill individual time trial. The Olympic champion, who had earlier claimed victory in stage 5’s individual time trial, acknowledged his deteriorating form after Friday’s stage, stating: “Yesterday was bad, today was worse.”
Saturday’s stage proved the final straw for the former Vuelta a España winner. The demanding 19-kilometre ascent to the Col du Tourmalet, with its punishing 7.4 per cent gradient, exposed Evenepoel’s declining condition when dozens of riders surged past him early in the climb. Unable to match the pace set by his rivals, the Belgian found himself increasingly isolated from the main group.
In a poignant moment before his withdrawal, Evenepoel handed his water bottle to a young spectator at the roadside before making the decision to abandon. His departure marks a disappointing end to what had promised to be another strong Tour de France campaign, following his impressive third-place finish on his debut appearance in 2023.
Evenepoel’s withdrawal removes one of cycling’s brightest talents from the remainder of this year’s Tour de France, leaving the general classification battle without the rider who had shown such promise earlier in the race. The Belgian’s focus will now likely shift to recovery and preparation for upcoming objectives later in the 2025 season.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
