Evenepoel wins Tour de France time trial as Lipowitz crashes out

Remco Evenepoel claimed his second consecutive stage victory at the Tour de France on Tuesday, winning the 16th stage individual time trial and trimming Tadej Pogacar's overall lead to 4 minutes 32 seconds. The Belgian, who also won the 15th stage on Sunday, completed the 26.1-kilometre course between Évian and Thonon in 32 minutes, 19 seconds, finishing 28 seconds ahead of Pogacar and more than a minute clear of Mattias Skjelmose, who took third at 1 minute 4 seconds.

"It's amazing, it was a very nice TT (time-trial), a lot of people on the side of the road," Evenepoel said, according to France 24. He dedicated the win to his family, noting that Belgium's national holiday made the occasion particularly special: "I read this morning it's been a while since Belgium won on National Day, so I'm proud to be the one."

Coverage comparison

The two outlets covering the race, ABC Australia and France 24, both reported Evenepoel's time trial win and Pogacar's reduced lead. France 24 noted that Evenepoel cut Pogacar's lead to 4 minutes 32 seconds, while ABC Australia also highlighted the crash of Evenepoel's Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe teammate Florian Lipowitz, who slid on a bend near the finish and was forced out of the race with what looked like a shoulder injury.

Both outlets placed the crash prominently in their coverage, with France 24 describing Evenepoel's reaction as a "bittersweet pill to swallow." Evenepoel, quoted by France 24, said: "I will really miss him for the whole..." — the quote was cut off, but he had earlier expressed his hope that Lipowitz was not too badly injured.

The two outlets also diverged slightly on the stage number. ABC Australia initially referred to the stage as the 16th, while France 24's earlier report on the 15th stage also used the same numbering. However, a later France 24 article described the same time trial as stage 16, consistent with both ABC Australia and the earlier France 24 reports.

Key claims

  • Evenepoel won the 16th stage time trial, finishing 28 seconds ahead of Pogacar, as reported by ABC Australia and France 24.
  • Pogacar's overall lead was cut to 4 minutes 32 seconds after the stage, according to both outlets.
  • Lipowitz crashed out during the stage, as reported by ABC Australia and France 24. He had been fifth overall at the time.
  • Brandon McNulty, a teammate of Pogacar at UAE Emirates XRG, was involved in a road rage incident before the stage, according to ABC Australia, citing team CEO Mauro Gianetti, who told Eurosport that a motorist overtook McNulty and stopped, causing him to crash into the car. Gianetti said McNulty was "all good" but that it was "not nice."
  • Pogacar had a scare but recovered during the 16th stage, as reported by ABC Australia and France 24.
  • In the 15th stage, Evenepoel beat Pogacar in a sprint finish, Pogacar increased his lead to five minutes after Vingegaard crashed out, and Isaac Del Toro moved up to third overall and took the best young rider's white jersey from Paul Seixas, who finished fourth. These details were reported by France 24.
  • Jonas Vingegaard crashed out of the Tour while sitting second overall, as reported by France 24, which said he suffered what looked like a broken collarbone.

Context

Evenepoel's time trial victory was his fourth Tour de France stage win overall and his third in time trials. He extended his gap to third-placed Isaac Del Toro to more than two minutes. Stage 17 takes the peloton from Chambéry to Voiron over 174.7 km, and could offer sprinters a final opportunity before the Alpine stages, according to France 24.