Evenepoel on closing the gap to Pogacar: 'Luckily I’m changing teams, so it’s their problem'
Remco Evenepoel once again had to settle for second behind Tadej Pogačar, this time at the European Championships in France. The Belgian Olympic champion admitted he had been beaten by a stronger rider but said he knows where the difference lies and how to work on it.
In the mixed zone, Evenepoel explained that he feels closer than ever to Pogačar, but those few minutes of full intensity on a climb still decide the outcome. In France, he managed to follow longer, cracked later and limited his losses once again, a reminder of progress but also of how the balance of power still stands.
Rather than sounding defeated, he approached his performance with calm analysis. “It was important not to go too deep when I was dropped. I kept my own pace and didn’t lose much time. That’s encouraging. I’m getting closer, but I still need to take another step.”
He smiled when asked how he plans to do that. “Luckily, I’m changing teams, so it’s their problem,” he joked. In 2026, he will join Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe. where he will work with coach Dan Lorang. “It’s up to my new trainer to solve it,” he told Het Nieuwsblad. “The data from this race will be interesting to analyse. He’ll decide what kind of training I need because if I want to beat Pogačar, I have to improve.”
Evenepoel already has an idea of where the focus should be. “It’s not about one minute power. We’re already going full gas before that. It’s about sustaining that intensity for three to five minutes. I worked on it in the summer, and I feel I’m getting better, but this winter we’ll need to really focus on it.”
He dismissed the idea that his time trial background limits his climbing potential. “If you’re a good time trialist, you can maintain high power for several minutes before recovering to a normal pace. Climbing is about watts per kilo, but that’s easier said than done.”
Evenepoel will race once more this season, at the Tour of Lombardy on October 11. “Everyone knows I’m motivated to win there,” he said. “We finish in Bergamo again, with a long valley in the final and the Passo di Ganda as the last climb. It’s not as steep as last year, so I just have to stay with him as long as possible. I’ll give it everything, and I feel ready.”
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