Samuel Defourny

[Samuel Defourny @SaDefourny]

100% agree

[Lukáš Ronald Lukács @lucxsronald]

HOW I THINK THE TOUR PRESENTATION COMPLETELY CHANGES RED BULL’S PLANS

I personally think that before this Tour de France route presentation, Red Bull management would not only have allowed Remco Evenepoel to ride the Giro d’Italia but would actually have been happy with that decision.

As you know, Remco has already achieved an amazing 2nd place behind the basically unbeatable Pogačar. When there is just very little chance of going one step further, the next logical goal would be winning another Grand Tour. Vuelta is done, so the focus would be on the Giro.

However, I believe yesterday’s almost perfect Tour route announcement changes the circumstances completely. There is simply no way Remco rides anything other than the Tour de France. A route that suits you this well comes maybe once in a lifetime.

Of course, the Giro could offer him a more realistic chance of winning another Grand Tour, but I think the special opportunity to fight for the yellow jersey in France is simply too big to ignore for one of the biggest brands in the world.

Now, this could also mean that Florian Lipowitz, who was expected to focus on the Tour de France after this year’s disappointment, might actually end up being the one leading Red Bull at the Giro d’Italia. If Remco is almost certain to target the Tour, Lipowitz could get the opportunity to chase his own Grand Tour ambitions in Italy instead. Only curious where Pellizzari would ride.

There was also some discussion about Remco potentially riding two Grand Tours in a row, but it doesn’t make much sense when you consider that the Worlds route also suits him very well. Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe boss Ralph Denk has also already said no to the idea of riding a Giro-Tour GC double as he said that only Pogačar can do something like that.

So, for now, it feels like Isaac Del Toro is the only rumoured superstar potentially heading to the Giro d’Italia, although it is still very early and nothing has been confirmed so far.

As for Remco, the next really interesting question for me would be what happens in 2028. Could he skip the Tour de France to focus on the Olympic Games? The ITT, where his chances of winning gold could be enormous, takes place just three days after the Tour ends, and in a completely different time zone. That makes combining the two extremely complicated, even for a rider like him.

And the road race route should suit him very well, too, which is another rare opportunity. So, if Remco really decides to prioritise the Olympics in 2028, we could see him then riding the Giro potentially.

Now this will be one of the last posts about Remco for a while as he will go for bike tests in California and then he requested two weeks off from the media to let him relax and I plan to respect it.

photo from ilciclistafotografo

[Samuel Defourny @SaDefourny]

@alainmoutonVL Natuurlijk, ik begrijp niet dat sommigen zeggen dat hij moet toch naar de Giro… Giro kan nog wachten, er komen nog kansen in toekomst maar zo’n kans in de Tour komt misschien nooit meer terug. Alles voor de Tour in 2027.

[Samuel Defourny @SaDefourny]

Le Tour, la Vuelta et les différentes épreuves ASO au moins jusqu'en 2032 sur la @RTBFsport 🥳🥳🥳

[Tour de France™ @LeTour]

🤝 EBU extends agreement with A.S.O. until 2032

📺 The major events on the international cycling calendar organised by A.S.O. and Unipublic, including the Tour de France, La Vuelta and Paris-Roubaix, in both their men's and women's editions, will continue to be broadcast across Europe until 2032.

🔗 More info : https://t.co/n4ZxzeGzSO

🤝 L'UER prolonge jusqu'en 2032 son accord avec A.S.O.

📺 Les courses majeures du calendrier cycliste international organisées par A.S.O. et Unipublic, à commencer par le Tour de France, La Vuelta et Paris-Roubaix dans leurs versions masculines et féminines, seront diffusées partout en Europe jusqu’en 2032.

🔗 Plus d'info : https://t.co/xo4twlxAkr

[Samuel Defourny @SaDefourny]

@YellowChris46 @O_pignon Je vois à l’instant sur interview sur Sporza où il dit que depuis le Tour, il n’a plus jamais été en top forme. Et ça veut quand même p-e dire que son poids du Tour est tellement exigeant pour son corps que ce dernier ne se remet pas vraiment ensuite.

[Samuel Defourny @SaDefourny]

@Emeric1895 @O_pignon Oui il dit qu’il doit etre à tel ou tel poids avant ses objectifs. Et c’est pas une critique hein. Je suis un fan de Remco et ça changera pas.

[Samuel Defourny @SaDefourny]

@Emeric1895 @O_pignon Ben non justement. Pq ne pas en parler ouvertement ? Que c’est impossible physiologiquement pour lui de garder ce poids. Et que ce serait trop dangereux pour son corps. Pq dire avant le Canada que non il a pas repris bcp de poids par rapport au Tour alors que ça saute aux yeux?

[Samuel Defourny @SaDefourny]

@LeGruppetto @RoBeenkens

[Samuel Defourny @SaDefourny]

🤣😍🇧🇪

[Belgian Red Devils @BelRedDevils]

Red Devils 🤝 Remco Evenepoel. 😉

[Samuel Defourny @SaDefourny]

Game over 🇧🇪🇪🇺🌈 🥰🥰🥰 bravo @EvenepoelRemco

[Samuel Defourny @SaDefourny]

@RoBeenkens ici le live timing par passage sur la ligne https://t.co/UJy7sUbU7M

[Samuel Defourny @SaDefourny]

Et j’entends bien que il est impossible pour lui de maintenir son poids du Tour toute l’année et que ça aurait des conséquences graves pour son organisme.

[Samuel Defourny @SaDefourny]

On ne m’enlèvera pas de la tête que le changement de morphologie de Remco entre le Tour et maintenant est la cause de ces pannes de jambes sur ces courses à Montréal (GP et championnat du monde).

[Samuel Defourny @SaDefourny]

Quelle course de Moors et De Schepper jusqu’ici 🥰🇧🇪 #Montréal2026

[Samuel Defourny @SaDefourny]

@LeCyclismebelge @VelonewsFantasy En attendant Lars Peers 😉

[Samuel Defourny @SaDefourny]

Quel plaisir de retrouver @RoBeenkens 🥰, 56 jours plus tard #velortbf #Montréal2026

[Samuel Defourny @SaDefourny]

@O_pignon La difference de silhouette entre le Remco du Tour et maintenant est quand même folle. Au niveau du visage ça se voit directement.

[Samuel Defourny @SaDefourny]

@O_pignon On a vu au Tour que même à ce poinds, il écrasait le chrono donc je pense que si il pouvait choisir, il choisirait de garder ce poids mais impossible...

[Samuel Defourny @SaDefourny]

Pas de @RoBeenkens pour la Vuelta 😢 #velortbf #lavuelta26