Evenepoel wins Tour de France time trial, cuts Pogačar’s lead

Remco Evenepoel claimed a commanding victory in the Tour de France's only individual time trial on Tuesday, completing the 26.1-kilometer stage 16 course from Évian-les-Bains to Thonon-les-Bains in 32 minutes and 19 seconds to earn his second consecutive stage win and trim Tadej Pogačar's overall lead.letour

The Belgian world time trial champion was the fastest from the start, posting the quickest time at the first checkpoint — 22 seconds ahead of anyone else after 4.8 kilometers — and extending his advantage over the Côte de Larringes, the category 2 climb that dominated the opening half of the course. By the summit, Evenepoel held a 56-second margin over Mattias Skjelmose, while Pogačar trailed by 14 seconds in second place.cyclingnews

Pogačar Limits Losses on the Descent

Pogačar, who started two minutes after Evenepoel as the last rider off the ramp, narrowed the gap on the fast descent and rolling roads back toward Lake Geneva but could not match the Belgian's pace. The yellow jersey finished 28 seconds behind Evenepoel, reducing his pre-stage five-minute advantage to four minutes and 32 seconds heading into the Alpine stages.cyclingstage+3

Skjelmose delivered a strong ride to take third on the stage, more than a minute behind Evenepoel, while Isaac del Toro and Paul Seixas — the top young riders in the race — rounded out the top five. Florian Lipowitz, Evenepoel's Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe teammate, also produced a competitive effort.cyclingnews

Evenepoel Builds Momentum for the Alps

The victory is Evenepoel's third career Tour de France time trial win and adds to the stage 15 summit finish he took on Sunday at Plateau de Solaison, where he outsprinted Pogačar after Jonas Vingegaard crashed out of the race. With Vingegaard gone, the battle for the podium has narrowed, and Evenepoel's back-to-back wins represent the first real pressure Pogačar has faced in the 2026 Tour.cyclingmagazine+1

The race now heads deeper into the Alps with five stages remaining before the Paris finale on July 26. Whether Evenepoel can continue closing the gap on the mountainous terrain ahead — or whether Pogačar's climbing superiority reasserts itself — will define the final week of the 113th Tour de France.olympics