Black day for the team Soudal Quick-Step on that Tour de France 2025. After a first half of Large loop more than successful with three successes through Tim Merlier et Remco Evenepoelthe Belgian training lost its star and leader for the general classification this Saturday on the 14th stage of Tour de Franceforced to abandon when he was still on the provisional podium of this 112nd edition. Not at his level from the entrance to the Pyrenees, the wearer of the white jersey sank into the Tourmalet and preferred to end the Calvary. Lieutenant of the double Olympic mountain champion, Ilan van Wilder returned to this difficult moment for the Wolfpack After the arrival, he who crossed the line in 29th position almost 15 minutes from Thymen Arensman (Ineos grenadiers) at Luchon-Superbagnères.
“We will have to go ahead and change our strategy to make this last week a little more appreciable”
“He was distant early in the Tourmalet. Then we heard on the radio that we had the green light, Max Schachmann, Valentin Paret-Peintre and I, to make our own race. Valentin was in the breakaway, he did a good job. At first, there was only Pascal Eenkhoorn who remained with Remco. It was only at the top of the Tourmalet that my teammate Schachmann told me that he had left the Tour de France“Explained Van Wilder.
The approach of the last week will necessarily change for the runners of the Belgian team. “”We will have to go ahead and change our strategy on this Tour de France to make this last week a little more appreciable. And with a little luck, we can win a new step with our sprinter Tim Merlier. It would be good, we will at least try. But hey, necessarily at the moment T, it's not great“, He concluded, logically saddened by the scenario of the day.
