Evenepoel abandons Tour de France

Soudal Quick-Step team’s Belgian rider Remco Evenepoel celebrates on the podium with the best young rider’s white jersey after the 13th stage of the 112th edition of the Tour de France cycling race, in the Pyrenees mountains of southwestern France, on July 18, 2025. (AFP)
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  • Evenepoel had struggled in recent days, losing time in the first Pyrenean stage
  • “Yesterday was bad, today was worse,” the Olympic champion said

BAGNERES-DE-LUCHON, France: Belgian Remco Evenepoel abandoned the Tour de France on Saturday during the 14th stage, a 182.6-km mountain trek from Pau to Superbagneres.

The Soudal-Quick Step rider, who was third overall, stepped off his bike and entered his team car midway through the ascent of the Col du Tourmalet, the first of four climbs on the day’s menu.

Evenepoel had struggled in recent days, losing time in the first Pyrenean stage and in Friday’s uphill individual time trial.

“Yesterday was bad, today was worse,” the Olympic champion, who won the stage 5 individual time trial, said on Friday.

It got even worse on Saturday as the 25-year-old could not sustain the pace in the gruelling ascent to the Tourmalet (19km at 7.4 percent) as dozens of riders whizzed past him.

After giving his bottle to a child on the side of the road, Evenepoel threw in the towel, a year after finishing third overall on his Tour de France debut.