Evenepoel penalised for 'brake check' at the Tour of Britain
Remco Evenepoel has accepted a fine and points deduction for an 'unauthorised manoeuvre' in the Tour of Britain but remains determined to overcome his two-second deficit to leader Romain Grégoire in Sunday's final stage in Wales.
The Soudal-Quick Step leader was penalised 100 Swiss francs and lost 10 UCI points after causing a dangerous situation by suddenly braking in front of Tudor rider Mathys Rondel, as he went on to take the victory on the summit finish of The Tumble on stage 5
Team director Klaas Lodewyck took a light-hearted approach to the penalty, joking to Sporza: "Has it been written off already? I think it has, but I won't be doing that!" He confirmed that both he and Evenepoel considered the decision fair and had anticipated potential consequences for the 'brake checking' incident.
The challenging weather conditions add another layer of complexity to his decision-making, particularly with the World Championship looming. Despite this, Evenepoel refuses to back down from the challenge.
"It's all still the same for me. The weather isn't ideal right now, but it should improve as we progress. Ultimately, the rain affects everyone equally, so we need to push through," Evenepoel said before the final stage began.
Heading in to the finale of the 2025 Tour of Britain, Evenepoel sits in second just 2 seconds off of race leader, Romain Grégoire. The Belgian cycling star views this narrow time gap as an opportunity rather than an obstacle, pointing to the bonus seconds available over the course of stage 6
"I've got 2 seconds to close, and there are a maximum of 12 bonus seconds available, which should be enough. The final climb is tough enough to force something, and we have to try something," he explained.
Evenepoel acknowledged that his tactical approach would depend on how the race develops. "However, how we approach this will be a last-minute decision; we'll wait for the right moment."
"It certainly won't be easy, but you must always go for it. The course suits both Romain Grégoire and Julian Alaphilippe. We will just try our best and see what happens," he added.
