Evenepoel’s Stage Victory and Overall Standings
Remco Evenepoel claimed consecutive stage victories in the Tour de France, winning the stage 16 time trial from Evian to Thonon-les-Bains. This win allowed him to reduce some of Tadej Pogacar’s overall lead. Evenepoel, now second in the general classification, finished 28 seconds ahead of Pogacar on the Belgian national day, bringing the Slovenian’s advantage down to just over four and a half minutes. This marks Evenepoel’s third career time trial win in the Tour.
Evenepoel expressed his satisfaction with his current form, stating, “It’s been a while since I’ve been on this level so it feels amazing to be in this good shape in the Tour.” He acknowledged Pogacar as a “superstar” and added, “It’s not over yet. There are still some hard stages to come.”
Despite Evenepoel’s success, his Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe teammate, Florian Lipowitz, exited the race after a crash. Lipowitz, who was fifth overall and second-fastest at the third time check, fell on a right-hand bend after a downhill section. He was carried away on a stretcher, and it was later confirmed he suffered a broken collarbone. Evenepoel noted the bittersweet nature of his victory, stating, “I’ve just been told that my teammate Lipowitz crashed, so that is very unfortunate. It’s a bittersweet pill to swallow with this victory. I wish him all the best and I hope he is not too bad.” Lipowitz’s departure means the team loses the tactical advantage of having two highly placed riders in the overall standings.
Doping Test Controversy Continues
Amidst the ongoing race, discussions surrounding the ITA drug testing agency’s activities have intensified. The agency conducted nocturnal visits to riders, including Jonas Vingegaard at 2 am and Pogacar at 5 am last Sunday. These tests, conducted outside the typical 6 am to 11 pm window, have drawn criticism from some, despite being authorized by the Paris prosecutor’s office.
Jonathan Vaughters, manager of the EF Education EasyPost team, commented on the situation, suggesting that obtaining a warrant from a French judge might not be difficult given the sport’s history. He stated, “To a French judge that is not a sports scientist, or a haematologist, I do not think it would be too difficult to convince them. I doubt if they had to fight that hard for it.” Vaughters also affirmed his support for the ITA, viewing the nocturnal tests as an example of them performing effectively, but cautioned against overinterpreting the judicial warrant.
Pascal Chanteur, vice-president of the CPA, the professional riders association, has also questioned the Paris prosecutor’s involvement, stating that “the judge knew nothing of cycling.” The CPA supports night-time testing if sufficient evidence exists, according to Chanteur, who also suggested that the differing test times for Vingegaard and Pogacar were due to the ITA’s limited resources.
The French sports code mandates that testing procedures must maintain strict proportionality between infringing an athlete’s rights and the objectives of anti-doping efforts. Olivier Banuls, the ITA’s director of testing, previously mentioned that the agency focuses on targeted testing rather than mass testing, which he described as inefficient. The outcomes of the tests on both riders have not been publicly disclosed, leaving a degree of uncertainty surrounding the race as Pogacar continues his pursuit of a potential record-equalling fifth Tour win.
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Source: theguardian.com
