Red Bull sports director reveals cause of Evenepoel crash after late Catalunya fall

The stage was shaped by crosswinds and tension, but the decisive moment came in the final kilometre. Remco Evenepoel and Jonas Vingegaard had gone clear with around 30 kilometres to go and held a narrow lead over the peloton on a day expected to end in a sprint.

Evenepoel drove the move on the front, keeping the gap alive as the chasers hovered just seconds behind. They still led into the final kilometre, set to decide the stage between them.

That changed abruptly before the final roundabout, where Evenepoel lost control and crashed. Vingegaard stayed upright but was quickly caught as the peloton closed in.

According to Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe sports director Klaas Lodewyck, the crash was not caused by contact or a typical racing incident. “He went off the brake hoods and tried to take the handlebar from below. Then he hit a hole in the road and slipped off his bars,” Lodewyck explained to Sporza.

“His front wheel moved away slightly and he no longer had control of the bike,” he added, describing a moment that appeared to catch the rider completely off guard.

Vingegaard was also unsure about the exact cause when speaking shortly after the finish. “I don’t really know what happened. He just went over his handlebars and I hope he is okay,” the Dane said to Eurosport. “It looked strange. I didn’t want to take advantage of that situation, so I decided to wait for the peloton. I hope he can continue racing tomorrow.”

The priority now shifts to Evenepoel’s condition. Initial images showed visible abrasions, but the full extent of any injuries was not immediately clear. Team staff confirmed that medical assessments were ongoing after the finish.

“The doctor is checking him now. From here it is day by day,” Lodewyck said. “First we need to see how he gets through the night.”

The crash not only denied Evenepoel a shot at the stage win but also raises questions ahead of the race’s first major mountain test. Stage 4 finishes atop Vallter at over 2000 metres, a key moment in the general classification. Whether Evenepoel will be able to start, and in what condition, remains uncertain.