Evenepoel wins Tour time trial, Pogacar retains yellow jersey after stage seven

Remco Evenepoel claimed victory in a thrilling 25.3km time-trial through the Burgundy vineyards on stage seven of the Tour de France, marking his first stage win in the competition. Tadej Pogacar, meanwhile, fought hard to retain the yellow jersey as the overall leader.

Evenepoel, the 24-year-old Belgian time-trial world champion, finished 12 seconds ahead of Pogacar, who secured second place on the day. Primoz Roglic, a seasoned rider, took third place with a gap of 34 seconds, followed closely by Jonas Vingegaard, the two-time defending champion, who finished 37 seconds behind.

The result maintains the dominance of the ‘Fab Four’ favorites, with all four occupying the top positions after seven stages of the three-week race. The intense competition saw all four riders start within a ten-minute window at Nuits-Saint-Georges, setting the stage for a dramatic finale.

Evenepoel initially widened his lead but faced a gear issue, which he resolved by adjusting his position on the bike, demonstrating composure in his Tour de France debut. Spectators at the finish line cheered as the riders battled fiercely, resulting in a competitive outcome for all contenders.

Evenepoel’s victory adds to his record of success against Pogacar in their six head-to-head time-trials. Vingegaard, who had previously outpaced Pogacar in the last two time-trials, lost ground to the Slovenian on this occasion.