Cycling
What makes Remco Evenepoel so dominant against the clock
Few riders can match Remco Evenepoel against the clock. This is what makes the Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe rider one of cycling's best time trialists.
Remco Evenepoel made it two wins in a row at the 2026 Tour de France, adding victory in the Stage 16 individual time trial to his sprint finish success against Tadej Pogačar in last Sunday’s (19 July) mountainous Stage 15.
The Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe rider was the clear favourite ahead of the only individual time trial of the Tour’s 113th edition, but his domination of the 26.1km course from Évian-les-Bains to Thonon-les-Bains was built on more than aero-optimised kit and a hilly parcours that favoured the 26-year-old.
From supreme physical attributes to a mental strength that comes from continued success in the race-against-the-clock discipline, here’s how Evenepoel is almost unbeatable in the time trial.
01
Evenepoel possesses unrivalled physical attributes
Huge crowds cheered on as Remco Evenepoel claimed another stage win
© Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
At the heart of time trialling is raw power, and Evenepoel has this by the bucketload. Despite his diminutive frame and mountain goat-like build, the Belgian is able to lay down the watts like the powerhouses that usually dominate the discipline.
In a post on Evenepoel’s YouTube channel from a pre-Tour altitude training block in Tenerife, Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe’s performance coach Dan Lorang shared that the Belgian’s second lactate threshold (the output a rider can sustain for 60 minutes) sits around 425 watts. When factoring in his weight (which is published at 63kg), that’s 6.75 w/kg – a monstrous return that only a few other general classification riders can rival in the WorldTour peloton.
Raw power will only get you so far, though, and the ability to hold an aerodynamically optimised position throughout a time trial stage can help a rider minimise the amount of drag they face (with the athlete accounting for 75-80% of total resistance) – transforming that high-performance engine into a wind-cheating weapon.
Again, Evenepoel is hard to beat when it comes to holding the best posture on the bike. The Belgian has perfected and optimised his positioning over years of refinements, spending time in wind tunnels and hours in the saddle to fine-tune his fit and get the perfect balance of aerodynamics and biomechanics to be able to slice through the air while still laying down the power.
02
Proof that success breeds confidence
While Evenepoel has the attributes to be competitive on road cycling’s biggest stages, he pairs it with the mental confidence that comes from unmatched success in the discipline.
26 of Evenepoel's 68 career wins have been time trials
© Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
The Belgian won his first world title in the individual time trial as a junior in 2018 and has dominated it since joining the elite class. He has won three consecutive UCI ITT World Championships (2023-2025), gold at Paris 2024, has two European titles (2019 and 2025) and is also the Belgian national champion. This simultaneous holding of four major titles is the first time anyone has ever achieved it in the sport.
Before the 2026 Tour de France, his two stage victories at the race had been in individual time trials (2024 and 2025), while 26 of his 68 career wins have been time trials.
Ahead of Stage 16, he was the clear favourite, and rolling down the start ramp bedecked in the rainbow jersey of world champion, he will have been brimming with the confidence required to turn promise into another podium-topping finish.
Discover more Tour de France content
03
A route that perfectly suited Evenepoel
The stage was perfectly suited to Evenepoel
© Maximilian Fries/Red Bull Content Pool
Although he has shown he can win on any type of terrain, the course of Stage 16 was almost made for Evenepoel to succeed. The 26.1km route included 470m gain, the majority of which was the category 2 ascent of Côte de Laminges (9.6km at 4.2%) that started the stage. The hilly nature immediately ruled out the flat-track bullies who can dominate the discipline, with the climbing favouring riders with high power-to-weight ratios rather than pure power.
From the summit of Côte de Laminges, the course embarked on a winding, technical descent that required the bike handling skills Evenepoel has displayed during his two Monument victories, while a fast, flat finish would have seen him crank up the watts in a drive for the line.
Finishing with an average speed of 48.45kph and stopping the clock 28 seconds faster than second-place finisher Pogačar, Evenepoel showed he is head and shoulders above the rest.
04
The benefits of aero-optimised equipment
Even if the rider is the engine, they still need a high-performance machine to translate that potential into a Tour de France stage win. And in the Specialized S-Works Shiv time trial bike, Evenepoel is set up better than most.
Evenepoel on his Specialized S-Works Shiv time trial bike
© Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
An unreleased prototype model that is even more aerodynamically optimised than the previous generation, the bike’s components were tailored to the task at hand. Short, 165mm cranks were fitted to a dinner plate-sized 60T chainring, while at the rear he had a 10-36T cassette to cycle through; the 1x (single chainring) set up offering even more aerodynamic advantage.
A disc wheel at the rear and deep section rims at the front took this even further, while 30c cotton tyres kept him gripped on the twisting downhill section.
At the front of the bike, a personalised, carbon fibre cockpit and extensions ensured he was always in his optimum position, while grip tape was strategically applied to keep his hands where he needs them.
Finished with subtle gold detailing that references his biggest successes, it is the ultimate race bike for time trial dominance.
About the author