Evenepoel returns to the Tour de France podium

There's a common thread running through Remco Evenepoel 's entire career: the Belgian is never more dangerous than when he has something to prove. And on stage ten of the 2026 Tour de France , finishing in Le Lioran, he proved it once again in striking fashion.

The moment of difficulty had arrived almost brutally: on the Category 3 Col de Font de Céré, less than seven kilometers from the finish, Evenepoel had been dropped by the leading group, which included heavyweights like Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike), Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM), and his own teammate , Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe). For a moment, it seemed as if his overall bid was about to crumble. If he couldn't handle a relatively manageable climb, how could he tackle the much more challenging Alps and Vosges that lay ahead?

Remco's response was lightning-fast: a blistering descent and a blistering final sprint propelled him to second place on the stage. Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) had already celebrated alone as the undisputed leader, but Evenepoel's second place was worth gold in terms of the overall standings: the Belgian climbed back onto the podium, now 30 seconds behind Vingegaard and 18 ahead of fourth-place Juan Ayuso (Lidl-Trek).

It's not the first time Evenepoel has turned a crisis into fuel. Anyone who remembers the 2023 Vuelta a España knows what he's capable of the day after a setback: he collapsed on the altar of the Tourmalet, but the following day he won in a breakaway with a remarkable performance. The scale is different, sure, but the script is the same.

"It would be typically Belgian to find only the negatives of today, and I hope that doesn't happen," Evenepoel told Eurosport at the finish line, clearly referring to the merciless criticism that erupts at the slightest misstep back home. "What grade would I give myself? A 9, 10. Not a full 10 because I had to ease off for a few moments."

"The UAE was riding really strong all day, and I had a tough time in the valley. Why? I just struggled for two or three minutes due to some annoying changes in pace."

"I really struggled on that uphill section," added the Belgian champion. "I was close to cramping, but I kept fighting. However, I feel like I can recover well from the effort. Afterwards, I rode a good descent, a little faster than the others, conserving my energy. I held on and attacked 250 meters from the finish."

His recovery was also aided by tactical memory: Evenepoel had already raced on this same finish line two years ago, finishing alongside his then-rival, now-teammate, Primož Roglič . That memory helped him calculate the right moment to launch the sprint.

In terms of the general classification, the stage's haul was invaluable: Evenepoel gained seconds on all his opponents, from just two on Seixas to 12 on Vingegaard, up to a whopping 59 seconds on a surprisingly struggling Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG). He also earned a six-second bonus on almost everyone except Seixas, who is in third place.

"It's nice to make up some time, especially with the weekend approaching. I have to stay calm and ride well in the next stages, and there will certainly be another great battle for the overall standings on Saturday and Sunday. I feel like I'm improving every day, and that can only be a good thing."

At Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, the goal of the yellow jersey seems to have been quietly shelved, but optimism has returned. The increased chemistry between Evenepoel and Lipowitz, now fifth in the standings, is an important sign after the Belgian's public criticism of his teammate after the Pyrenean stage. Klaas Lodewyck , the team's sports director, commented to Sporza: "The positive thing is that we still had Lipowitz in front. He wasn't just pedaling, which allowed Remco to come back and recover for a moment. Looking at how they handled the stage today, you can see they're on the same wavelength."

Fantasy cycling tips: Evenepoel is proving to be a vital addition to any fantasy team. His ability to bounce back from slumps and be lethal in the sprint ahead makes him doubly valuable. With the Alps and Vosges still to come, the Belgian appears to be improving in condition: keeping him on the team is almost a must. Keep an eye on his renewed understanding with Lipowitz, which could yield further success in the coming days. Del Toro's performance, however, should be monitored closely, as he has appeared to be clearly struggling.