It unraveled very, very quickly for Remco Evenepoel at the UAE Tour.
The Red Bull–BORA-hansgrohe rider cracked on the steep gradients of Jebel Mobrah, losing over two minutes to stage winner Antonio Tiberi and tumbling from the race lead to 11th overall.
Evenepoel said the warning signs were there early. “At the foot of the climb, I already had emerging cramps,” he said to Het Nieuwsblad— something he admitted is rare for him. The effort from the previous day may have lingered. “Maybe yesterday’s effort wasn’t really completely digested.”
One day you’re good…
On Tuesday, he smashed the TT, taking a win at top speed. It was yet another victory for him in what has been a remarkable start to the season–seven wins. It appeared like he was en route to solidifying his lead at the UAE Tour, until it wasn’t.
When the pace intensified, he couldn’t respond. “When I had to let go I had a very bad kilometre,” he said, though he added that he eventually stabilized.
Heat wasn’t the excuse. “I really kept drinking,” Evenepoel said. Still, he acknowledged a restless night. “I didn’t have the best night either, I woke up from the heat. But in the end, I can’t look for excuses.”
Now sitting 1:44 down, the overall may be out of reach. But a stage win? “I might be able to do something nice on Saturday.”
It was a good day, however, for national champion Derek Gee-West of Lidl-Trek. Wearing his brand-new maple leaf kit, he rode to seventh on the day and moved up overall.
“The first three days racing with the team have been great,” Gee-West said after. “I am quickly getting used to the team and we have had a nice mix of a very stressful sprint day, a time trial, and then today covering all the bases pretty quickly.”
Antonio Tiberi took the dub along with the overall lead.