Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep) has finally shed light on his sensational retirement from the Tour de France, which occurred on Saturday on the slopes of the Col du Tourmalet, which left everyone stunned.

"Nothing was just not working anymore, I was completely empty," Evenepoel confessed to reporters. "Having a bad day can happen, but three days in a row like that had never happened to me."

The Belgian rider revealed that the decision to abandon came in agreement with sports director Klaas Lodewyck: 'He told me it was the best choice, especially considering what still lay ahead.'

"Up until today, everything seemed fine. I'd won the time trial and was third overall. But today, nothing really worked," Evenepoel added. "I could have finished with the group, but I risked accumulating even more fatigue and compromising my September appointments."

Team manager Tom Steels confirmed the team's full support for the decision: "It was clear he wasn't feeling well. We were hoping for an improvement during the stage, but it didn't happen. He's world champion in both the road race and the time trial, and these must be his next goals."

Evenepoel also revealed that he wasn't in top form for the Tour: "After the Dauphiné, I wasn't able to train as well as I'd have liked. I couldn't handle any intensity. It could be accumulated fatigue or simply my body wasn't at its best this year... I can't pinpoint a specific cause."