Remco Evenepoel's decision to skip the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and therefore not complete a single day of competition between Liège-Bastogne-Liège and the Tour de France caused quite a stir, and earned the Belgian plenty of criticism. As we head deep into the final week of the Tour, is vindication imminent?
Evenepoel's form had been patchy – or at least difficult to read – at this Tour de France. The Belgian lost ground on numerous occasions, only to come roaring back again. On stage 10 in the Massif Central, he was dropped from the GC group but somehow ended up finishing best of the rest behind Tadej Pogačar, while on stage 14 in the Vosges he was dropped early on the Col du Haag but only conceded a few seconds on the line.
