The goal, explained his team in a statement, is to bring him to a state of “total freshness” in Barcelona, where the Tour de France 2026 will start in two months, on July 4.
“Contrary to the initial plans, he will not participate in the Tour Auvergne–Rhône-Alpes. Instead, his program for the month of June will focus on a mix of recovery, reconnaissance of stages, and specific training sessions,” specified Red Bull-Bora, adding that he will undergo a new altitude training stage in May.
“We decided together with Remco to take a break from races after an intense spring. The goal for him is to arrive totally fresh in Barcelona,” explained Zak Dempster, director of the team, as cited in the statement.
No race for Evenepoel
“After analyzing his 25 days of racing (since the beginning of the season), we see a greater benefit in a balanced alternative program rather than an increase in racing load,” he added.
At 26, the two-time Olympic champion from Paris-2024, who left Soudal-Quick Step for Red Bull-Bora last winter, is preparing for his third Tour de France, where he has had diametrically opposed experiences (3rd in Paris behind Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard in 2024; forced to retire last year in the Pyrenees).
Evenepoel will not participate in any race until then, unlike Florian Lipowitz who will start the Tour de Slovénie (June 17-21), just before the Grande Boucle.
Rest also for Lipowitz
Third and best young rider last year in his first participation in the Tour de France, the 25-year-old German rider secured second place in the general classification of the Tour de Romandie on Sunday.
“Florian has shown remarkable consistency in his past three stage races. We have achieved the desired performance stimulus this spring, and, above all, he has gained a lot of confidence in the path we have laid together,” commented Dempster.
