Evenepoel voices crash concerns ahead of tense Tour de France start

LILLE, France: Belgian cyclist Remco Evenepoel has expressed concerns over potential crashes during the tense opening week of the 2025 Tour de France, highlighting the nerves that often grip the peloton in the early stages of the race.

“I think everybody is a little bit scared of that,” Evenepoel said during a press conference on Thursday. “We don’t want to go out with injuries after a few stages already. Before a race like this, we all hope that the most nervous stages just end up not being nervous or not being really hectic.”

The 25-year-old, who claimed third place in last year’s Tour, is once again targeting a podium finish in cycling’s most prestigious race. With the race set to begin in Lille on Saturday, riders face a demanding first week that includes several challenging finishes.

Evenepoel, a double Olympic champion, also finished fourth in last month’s Criterium du Dauphiné and is preparing to battle Tour favorites Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard. “First week is going to be difficult,” he admitted, as tension mounts ahead of the Grand Départ.(Reuters)