Remco Evenepoel won the Stage 16 individual time trial of the 2026 Tour de France on Tuesday, July 16 [1].
The victory strengthens Evenepoel's position in the general classification as he attempts to close the gap on race leader Tadej Pogačar.
Evenepoel, a three-time world time-trial champion, completed the 26.1 km [2] course between Évian-les-Bains and Thonon-les-Bains. He finished the stage 28 seconds [3] ahead of Pogačar and one minute, four seconds [4] ahead of Mattias Skjelmose.
The win marks back-to-back stage victories for the Belgian rider. By securing the stage win, Evenepoel has moved into second place overall in the general classification [5].
Despite the dominant performance in the time trial, a significant gap remains at the top of the leaderboard. Evenepoel currently trails Pogačar by four minutes, 32 seconds [5].
The Stage 16 [1] route tested the riders' ability to maintain high speeds over a demanding distance. Evenepoel used his expertise in the discipline to consolidate his standing as the primary challenger to the yellow jersey.
“Evenepoel has moved into second place overall in the general classification”
Evenepoel's victory confirms his status as the premier time-trialist in the current field, but the time gap to Pogačar suggests that stage wins alone may not be enough to secure the overall title. To win the Tour de France, Evenepoel will likely need to find further opportunities to gain time in the mountain stages or hope for a collapse from the leader.
