'Really, really happy' - Evenepoel maintains perfect start with Red Bull in Mallorca

After dominating the team time trial on Thursday and soloing to victory on Friday, Evenepoel completed the hat-trick on Saturday with a clinical display of tactics and power. The Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe leader once again proved why he's one of cycling's most formidable riders.

The race unfolded in challenging conditions, with much stronger headwinds than the previous day, making it difficult to establish decisive gaps. The Puig Major, while long, lacked the gradient to create natural selection early on.

"The conditions were different from yesterday. So much more headwind," Evenepoel told Eurosport. "The Puig Major is quite a long climb, but not super steep, so you have quite some minutes within the wheel. It was in general more difficult to make a big, big difference there."

The race came alive when teammate Maxim Van Gils pushed hard in the final kilometre of the climb. Evenepoel seized the moment, attacking through the tunnel and opening significant gaps despite the headwind. Though the chase group, which wasn't getting full cooperation from Ivan Romeo, managed to close back up, Evenepoel found himself in an ideal tactical position with just one other rider.

"Once Maxim [Van Gils] pushed on the last kilometre, I decided to go really flat out in the tunnel, and then there were quite big gaps," he explained. "It was a very good situation because we were in two."

The decisive move came on team orders. "At some moment it split in the descent and then from the car on, I got the advice to just go flat out till the climb," Evenepoel said. "There was only one part till the climb and that's where I tried to make my move. And it was a good one."

Three victories in three days represent a dream start to 2026 for Evenepoel, who endured an injury-disrupted 2025 season and also made the switch to pastures new at Red Bull after a blockbuster transfer. The Belgian was understandably pleased with his week's work in Mallorca.

"It's pretty good, yeah. I think very happy with that. Really satisfied," he said. "It's really nice and really, really happy with how it went here the three days. Good feeling, good sensations with the team as well. And of course it's very positive to start like this."

However, the world-class rider remains grounded about maintaining his perfect record. With the Volta Comunitat Valenciana on the horizon, where sprint stages are expected, Evenepoel acknowledged reality.

"It's going to be difficult to keep this up because probably the first stage in Valencia will be a sprint," he said with a smile. "So I think my 100% will go away."

Still, three wins from three starts is a statement of intent from Evenepoel and his new Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe team. The Belgian has shown he's in peak condition early in the season, with bigger targets like the UAE Tour and Tour de France looming on the horizon. If Mallorca is any indication, 2026 could be a special year for one of cycling's most complete riders.