Remco Evenepoel delivered a dominant performance in stage four of the Critérium du Dauphiné, storming to victory in the individual time trial and seizing the overall race lead. The 25-year-old Belgian powered through the 17.4km course, showcasing his world-class time-trialling abilities to finish 21 seconds ahead of Jonas Vingegaard, his closest rival on the day.
Evenepoel, an Olympic champion and two-time time-trial world champion, made a clear statement with his performance, putting substantial time into many of his key rivals. Matteo Jorgenson crossed the line in third place, 38 seconds behind Evenepoel, while Tadej Pogacar finished just outside the podium, trailing by 49 seconds. Florian Lipowitz secured fifth place, with Mathieu van der Poel in sixth.
Evenepoel expressed his surprise at the scale of the time gaps. “It’s quite big on a short TT, so I’m very happy to have put over a second per kilometre on everybody and even two seconds per kilometre on some,” he said. His consistency and raw power over the relatively short distance demonstrated not only his physical condition but also the precision of his preparation for key races this season.
The result sees Evenepoel don the leader’s yellow jersey heading into the second half of the week-long race. With the high mountains of the Alps looming over the final three stages, the general classification battle is intensifying. Evenepoel leads the pack into stage five with a 16-second advantage over Vingegaard, who sits fifth overall. Pogacar, often a dominant climber, finds himself in eighth place, 38 seconds off the pace and with work to do in the mountains if he wants to reclaim time.
Evenepoel’s win also marked a historic milestone for his team, Soudal Quick-Step, as it was their 1,000th victory since their founding in 2003. For the Belgian, the occasion added to the significance of the day. “It’s a special day,” he said. “I’m very proud to have done it.”
Stage five, a 183km ride from Saint-Priest to Mâcon, features a rolling route that could suit breakaway specialists or strong puncheurs. While not a decisive day for the general classification, it could offer opportunities for ambitious riders to make moves before the race hits the serious climbing stages in the Alps starting Friday.
Evenepoel’s time trial has undoubtedly reshaped the overall standings and set the tone for a dramatic final showdown in the mountains. With three stages to go, the race remains wide open, and the spotlight is firmly on the young Belgian who now leads one of the most prestigious stage races in the lead-up to the Tour de France.
