Evenepoel Dominates Stage 4 Time Trial to Seize Dauphiné Lead

Belgian world champion delivers crushing performance against Pogačar and Vingegaard in crucial showdown

SAINT-PÉRAY, France — The much-anticipated duel between cycling’s elite turned into a solo demonstration of power as Remco Evenepoel crushed his rivals in the fourth stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné, claiming both the stage victory and the overall race lead with a dominant time trial performance.

Under bright sunshine on the 17.4-kilometer course from Charmes-sur-Rhône to Saint-Péray, the Belgian world and Olympic champion delivered a masterclass in racing against the clock, finishing in 20 minutes and 50 seconds at an average speed of 50.1 kilometers per hour. His margin of victory told the story of complete supremacy: 21 seconds ahead of Jonas Vingegaard, 38 seconds clear of Matteo Jorgenson, and a commanding 49 seconds faster than Tadej Pogačar.

The time trial had been billed as the first major confrontation between the sport’s biggest names after three days of careful positioning. As Evenepoel noted before the start, the discipline strips away all pretense: “I just have to go all in.” By its very nature, the time trial creates a pure contest—every rider alone against the ticking clock, with successive passages over identical terrain building tension like a “royal rumble.”

Evenepoel had identified this particular course as suiting his strengths, describing it as having “a fast start, a hard middle part and a fast finish.” The 2-kilometer climb positioned halfway through the stage would prove to be where he delivered his decisive blow.

The day began with early riders setting modest benchmarks. Domen Novak launched the proceedings at 2:15 p.m. with a time of 24 minutes and 43 seconds, quickly eclipsed by Norwegian champion Søren Waerenskjold’s 23-minute reference. Tobias Foss, the 2022 world time trial champion, raised the standard significantly with a 22-minute performance at 47.4 kilometers per hour.

But it was Rémi Cavagna, known as the “TGV from Clermont-Ferrand,” who first hinted at the day’s exceptional pace. The French specialist clocked 21 minutes and 57 seconds, averaging 47.6 kilometers per hour and holding a 17-second lead at the intermediate checkpoint. His advantage lasted just long enough for the real contenders to take the stage.

Matteo Jorgenson elevated the competition further, improving Cavagna’s benchmark by 28 seconds. Yet even this impressive performance paled when Evenepoel began his assault on the course.

The Belgian’s dominance was evident from the intermediate timing point, where he led Jorgenson by 30 seconds. That gap only expanded through the crucial climbing section and technical finish, with Evenepoel crossing the line 37 seconds clear—a margin that would prove insurmountable for his most dangerous rivals.

Vingegaard, runner-up in the last two Tours de France, could manage only the second-fastest time, losing 20 seconds to the Belgian despite his reputation as one of cycling’s premier time trialists. Even more surprising was Pogačar’s struggle, the Slovenian finishing a distant fourth, 11 seconds behind Jorgenson and nearly a full minute adrift of Evenepoel.

The overall classification battle proved equally decisive. Ivan Romeo, the defending Under-23 world time trial champion who had worn the leader’s jersey, needed to finish within 1 minute and 17 seconds of Evenepoel to retain his advantage. Instead, the Spaniard, fatigued from previous efforts, lost 1 minute and 25 seconds, tumbling to third overall behind Florian Lipowitz.

“I’m surprised with the gaps,” Evenepoel admitted afterward. “It’s quite big on quite a short TT so I’m very happy to have put over a second per kilometer on everybody, and even two seconds per kilometer on some.”

The victory carried additional significance as the 1,000th in Soudal Quick-Step’s history. But for Evenepoel, the performance represented validation of months of meticulous preparation ahead of the Tour de France.

“In terms of weight, I’m already good, better than I was last year at this point,” he explained. “I’ve been working super hard behind the scenes, day by day, trusting the process, and today was a day I wanted to perform.”

The Belgian emphasized his tactical approach to the demanding course: “My goal was to go as fast as possible until the intermediate and then keep a steady pace. I had an advantage with a lot of headwind in the valley so I used that to make the most of my position, and then I went as fast as possible on the climb with a perfect pacing strategy.”

Even Mathieu van der Poel, finishing sixth despite his energy expenditure in the previous day’s breakaway, expressed satisfaction with his performance. “I was motivated to give it my all in this TT,” said the Dutch star, who had asked Evenepoel weeks earlier whether he could finish within a minute of the time trial specialist. At 1 minute and 2 seconds back, he nearly achieved that goal.

“It was close but I still have some work to do!” van der Poel acknowledged.

The psychological impact of Evenepoel’s performance cannot be understated. With the Tour de France still six weeks away, the Belgian has served notice to his rivals while acknowledging the challenges ahead.

“I need to test myself against Tadej and Jonas on the high mountains. That’s what I worked for,” Evenepoel said. “The climb today was already a bit of a test. I think I did it how I wanted. I’m feeling happy, I’m feeling good on the climb and the flat as well.”

The Critérium du Dauphiné now heads into a mountainous weekend that will provide the first true examination of Evenepoel’s climbing form against Pogačar and Vingegaard. With 49 seconds and 16 seconds respectively separating him from those rivals in the overall standings, the Belgian has created a significant buffer—but as he noted, “there is still a long way before reaching Paris on July 27.”

The seconds gained on Wednesday may well be crucial come July, but for now, Evenepoel has delivered the kind of statement performance that transforms race narratives. In a sport where marginal gains often decide major victories, his dominant display suggests the balance of power may be shifting as cycling’s biggest names prepare for their ultimate showdown at the Tour de France.

Stage 4 Results (Time Trial, 17.4 km):

General Classification After Stage 4: