Evenepoel missed the sprint at Les Angles: "I was missing that final burst."

In the past, Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) has proven himself a true specialist in uphill sprints, but on stage three of the 2026 Tour de France, finishing in Les Angles, the Belgian champion was forced to concede to a simply irresistible Tadej Pogačar. No drama, however: Evenepoel analyzed the situation clearly, without hiding either regrets or satisfaction.

The Belgian crossed the finish line in eighth place , four seconds behind the stage winner and new general classification leader. Despite his disappointing finish, Evenepoel remains third in the general classification , just 23 seconds behind the yellow jersey. A small gap, which keeps him fully in contention for the overall victory.

"I was able to ride fast, but I was missing that final burst," Evenepoel told Nieuwsblad. "It was a long, hot day, with a lot of elevation gain. The breakaway struggled to break away, then there was a tough final climb of almost two kilometers. Overall, I'm satisfied."

The crux of the matter is his long absence from competition. Evenepoel has been sidelined for over two months after finishing third in Liège-Bastogne-Liège , and that rust is making its presence felt precisely during moments of peak athletic intensity. "On the last climb, I felt I was beyond my limit. I had to simply follow and then push as hard as I could towards the finish line. The feeling isn't bad, but that explosive burst isn't there yet, due to the long break."

There's a substantial difference, the Belgian explained, between the Montjuic sprint on stage 2—a 700-meter sprint, more like a progression than a true explosive sprint—and the finale in Les Angles, where a violent and immediate acceleration was needed. In the first case, he managed to close in on Pogačar and Del Toro, even beating Vingegaard; in the second, the scenario was very different.

Evenepoel also praised Pogačar's strategy: "As Tadej said in his hot interview, if you can win, you have to do it. The team deserved it. They controlled the race." These were words of respect, but also an implicit statement that the Belgian is ready to raise his game as soon as his legs are back on track. "Personally, I'm satisfied," he concluded. And with a 23-second gap from the top, the 2026 Tour de France is still being written.