'The values were there, but I still lost a minute' - Evenepoel rues blunt UAE Tour reality after Jebel Hafeet

Evenepoel lined up at the UAE Tour targeting the general classification, with a direct comparison to Del Toro high on the agenda, yet he will leave the race with more questions than answers. “The values were there, but I still lost a minute. So the race is getting faster and faster,” he reflected.

Stage 6 had been billed as the decisive test, and it delivered. After a long, flat approach animated by a high speed breakaway, the peloton thundered towards the base of Jebel Hafeet. UAE Team Emirates-XRG set a relentless tempo, preparing the ground for Del Toro’s eventual strike.

When the gradient stiffened, the elastic began to snap. Evenepoel hovered near the front but lacked his usual sharpness. “Not the same feeling as in Valencia,” he said. “A bit less fresh, a bit less strong overall. It’s good that a recovery period and altitude camp are coming. Then I can focus again on the base and train more.”

With five kilometres remaining, the elastic finally broke. Evenepoel slipped from the red jersey group just before Del Toro launched a stinging sequence of accelerations. GC leader Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious) fought to limit the damage, but Del Toro surged clear to claim the stage and the overall lead.

Eventually Evenepoel finished on the 15th place, 52 seconds behind Del Toro. A big margin he acknowledged, though the gaps to the rest of the contenders were less alarming. 

“The feeling was better than Wednesday. The values were a bit better too, but it was not my best week,” he said. “Maybe I didn’t digest the first race [Volta Comunitat Valenciana] perfectly. Maybe I was a bit sick, a small cold. But I was just not super fresh.”

The disappointment was evident. “I always come to win and to fight with Del Toro and Tiberi for the overall. I didn’t have that level this week,” he conceded. An altitude camp now beckons, with Catalonia the next major objective. “I always come back well from altitude. In Catalonia I should be on another level.”

Evenepoel confirmed that Milan-San Remo will not interrupt that block, despite speculation following Maxime Van Gils’ withdrawal. “No, for sure not,” he said. “Catalonia is an important goal for us, with a big part of the Tour group racing there, so I’m not going to take the risk of not recovering."