Remco Evenepoel storms to TT victory on stage five of the Tour de France
Remco Evenepoel of Soudal Quick-Step captured victory in the individual time trial on stage five, finishing the challenging 33-kilometer course in a blistering time that left even his fiercest competitors in awe. Averaging an astonishing 54 km/h, Evenepoel's performance not only secured him the win but also reaffirmed his dominance in time trials, marking his fifth consecutive victory in this discipline
Repeating his triumph from last year's Tour, Evenepoel showcased his prowess against the clock, outpacing Italy's Edoardo Affini (Visma-Lease a Bike), who had set a formidable benchmark earlier in the day with a time of 37:15.
Evenepoel's final time of 36:42 eclipsed Affini's mark by an impressive 33 seconds, leaving the rest of the field scrambling to catch up. Notably, Tadej Pogacar of UAE Team Emirates-XRG finished 16 seconds behind Evenepoel, while reigning champion Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) trailed by 1:21.
"This victory is incredibly special," Evenepoel exclaimed after his win. "The time trial is always a test of pure power and mental strength, and I’m thrilled to have delivered such a strong performance today. I aim to carry this momentum forward in the coming stages."
Pogacar, despite finishing second in the time trial, made headlines by reclaiming the yellow jersey from Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck), who lost crucial time and ultimately the race lead. The Slovenian rider's strategic prowess shone through as he gained over a minute on his formidable rival, Jonas Vingegaard, who now sits 1:13 behind in the general classification.
With Pogacar now leading the general classification by 42 seconds over Evenepoel, the stakes are higher than ever as the Tour de France progresses. Kévin Vaquelin (Arkéa-B&B Hotels) holds a commendable third place after a valiant ride.
VIDEO: 2025 Tour de France Stage 5 Highlights
2025 Tour de France Stage 5 Top 10
2 Pogacar Tadej UAE Team Emirates-XRG 150 + 16
3 Affini Edoardo Team Visma | Lease a Bike 110 + 33
4 Armirail Bruno Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team 90 + 35
5 Vauquelin Kévin ARKEA-B&B HOTELS 70 + 49
6 Lipowitz Florian Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe 55 + 58
7 Romeo Iván Movistar Team 45 + 01:02
8 Almeida João UAE Team Emirates-XRG 40 + 01:14
9 Plapp Lucas Team Jayco-AlUla 35 + 01:17
10 Castrillo Pablo Movistar Team 30 + 01:1
2025 Tour de France GC after Stage 5
1. Tadej Pogacar (Slo/UAE Team Emirates-XRG) 17hrs 22mins 58secs
2. Remco Evenepoel (Bel/Soudal Quick-Step) +42secs
3. Kevin Vauquelin (Fra/Arkea-B&B Hotels) +59secs
4. Jonas Vingegaard (Den/Visma - Lease a Bike) +1min 13secs
5. Matteo Jorgenson (US/Visma-Lease a Bike) +1min 22secs
6. Mathieu van der Poel (Ned/Alpecin - Deceuninck) +1min 28secs
7. Joao Almeida (Por/UAE Team Emirates - XRG) +1min 53secs
8. Primoz Roglic (Slo/Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe) +2mins 30secs
9. Lipowitz Florian (Ger/Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe) +2mins 31secs
10. Mattias Skjelmose (Den/Lidl-Trek) +2mins 32secs