Evenepoel Wins Tour Time Trial, Pogacar Takes Yellow Jersey

14 Hour(s) Ago    👁 62
evenepoel wins tour time trial pogacar takes yellow jersey

Belgian Remco Evenepoel lived up to his favourite's tag in the individual time trial by winning stage five of the Tour de France on Wednesday, with defending champion Tadej Pogacar's second place enough to take hold of the leader's yellow jersey.

Evenepoel Soudal Quick-Step, Olympic and world time trial champion, covered the 33km around Caen in 36 minutes 42 seconds, 16 seconds ahead of Pogacar UAE Team Emirates, with Italian Edoardo Affini Visma-Lease a Bike rounding out the podium.

Slovenia's Pogacar had moved level with Mathieu van der Poel at the top of the general classification after Tuesday's stage win, and the time trial provided the expected first big shake-up in the race.

Pogacar now holds a 42-second lead over Evenepoel, who moved from ninth to second overall, with Van der Poel slipping to sixth, one minute 28 seconds down on the Slovenian who is aiming for his fourth Tour de France victory.

Affini, riding his first Tour de France, set the early pace, and his leading time lasted almost three hours until Evenepoel upped the pace in the second half of the course.