“The general classification? I prefer to wait”
“It's always easy to speak before the Tour de France. The only goal for the moment is to win the time trial on the 5th stage. Other than that, we will see how the race is going. It's quite long, you will have to look day by day and be patient”said Evenepoel At the microphone of RTBF.
The world champion of the time trial therefore adopts a cautious posture. However, in case of success in Caen, he could also put on the yellow jersey. A scenario that he prefers to put into perspective: “Perhaps because there are the stages of Boulogne and Rouen before. It will not necessarily be sprints, there will be racing in the final. There will be a way to take the jersey in Caen but the main one will be to win the stage”explain Evenepoelwhich refuses to advance in the final general classification. “I prefer to wait. We will have to spend the first ten days without problem.”
“I have to run my race and focus on the podium”
Its main rivals obviously feed the same ambitions, starting with the duo Tadej Pogacar – Jonas Vingegaard. Faced with these two favorites, the leader of Wolfpack prefers to stay focused on your own race: “I think I have to run my race. Especially after the winter I had. I have to be realistic and keep my feet on the ground. I will try to aim as high as possible. If I feel that I can't fight with them, I have to run and focus on the podium or something else.”
Unlike last year, Evenepoel Will not be the only protected runner in his team. Tim Merlier et Bert Van Lerberghe will be there to target the sprints. A strategy he considers logic: “It's logical to take them. We don't have to gain the weight of the race, that's why we have two goals. There are no arguments on this subject, it's logical”he reassures.
With the experience acquired in 2024 with his white jersey, Evenepoel retains an essential lesson: knowing how to take advantage of each opportunity when the form is there, while keeping in mind the length of the test. “When the legs are there, you have to try and grab your luck. Always remember that the turn is three weeks. You have to keep your head cool and have your legs especially.”
