'I’m going to the Tour for stages. It’s never going to work’ - Evenepoel reveals doubts before Tour success

His strongest evidence came in the final week. Rather than fading as the Tour reached its decisive stages, Evenepoel produced some of his best climbing performances of the race.

“What I take away most is that I was very good in terms of climbing performance during the second and third weeks,” Evenepoel said at his press conference. “I didn’t crack and didn’t have a bad day. I also improved my best 15 minute performance during the Tour.”

That durability addressed one of the main questions surrounding him before the race. His ability to win time trials, classics and individual Grand Tour stages was established. The uncertainty was whether he could repeatedly produce his best level deep into a demanding race lasting three weeks.

“It’s been an extraordinary, unforgettable month,” he told France Télévisions. “It’s not been easy. It’s been hard, and the start, especially, wasn’t easy, but I’m here now in second place with two stage wins, so I’m very happy with that.”

Evenepoel’s preparation had attracted scrutiny. After a spring built around the classics, he stayed away from competition in June and relied on training camps to reach his Tour condition. His climbing performances earlier in the season had also raised doubts.

“I know that some of the criticism regarding my climbing races this spring was justified, but the spring was all about Flanders and Liège,” he said. “The rest was focused on the Tour and what is yet to come. I have now achieved one of my main goals.”

The result gave Evenepoel and Red Bull evidence that the approach can work. More importantly, he reached the final week without the major fluctuations that had affected some of his previous Grand Tour campaigns.

Speaking on Vive le Vélo, Evenepoel admitted that he had experienced serious doubts during his Tour preparation.

At the altitude camp in Sierra Nevada, he was the first rider in the group who had to stop, just five minutes into their first interval session.

“At the top of the climb, I literally told soigneur David Geeroms: ‘I’m going to the Tour for stages. It’s never going to work,’” Evenepoel said.

The people around him urged patience. With two months remaining before the Tour, they told him to build step by step. Evenepoel said the final three weeks of preparation eventually restored his belief.

“Everything went up, except my weight,” he said on Vive le Vélo. “At exactly the right moment, everything was in place.”

He also explained that he had lost around 3 to 3.5 kilograms compared with Liège-Bastogne-Liège. Red Bull used detailed nutritional monitoring to reduce his weight without losing muscle or pushing himself beyond his limits.

The improvement was enough to secure second place, but not enough to threaten Pogačar over the full race. Evenepoel was realistic about the remaining difference.

“I think my level has gone up, but Tadej is still getting better, or at least maintaining the same level,” he said. “I will keep focusing on myself and try to improve every detail. If I get closer, then that is what happens. If I don’t, then that is what happens.”

He also placed his result in the context of Pogačar’s fifth Tour victory.

“We must not forget that I finished second behind someone who is making history again,” Evenepoel said. “I did it behind a phenomenon and an exceptional talent.”

Evenepoel leaves Paris under no illusions about the gap to Pogačar. But this Tour gave him and Red Bull something tangible to build on. He was still climbing at his best in the final week, rather than merely hanging on.

That may matter more than the gap of more than six minutes to an untouchable Pogačar.