Geof Sheppard, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Evenepoel Breaks Down in the Pyrenees — Tour de France Hits a Gut-Punch Moment
If you were watching Stage 14 of the Tour de France today, you probably felt that weird mix of excitement and heartbreak — the kind only cycling seems to deliver.
It was all lined up to be a monster of a day: high mountains, brutal climbs, weather that looked like it belonged in October, and a route that would chew up and spit out anyone not 100% ready.
And somewhere on the cold, damp slopes of the Tourmalet… Remco Evenepoel stopped.
Not slowed down. Not dropped back. Stopped.
He gave a water bottle to a kid, climbed into the team car, and just like that — done.
Wait, What Just Happened?
Evenepoel was one of the big ones this year. Strong early on, even snagged a stage win that made people think, “Okay, he’s really in this.” But the signs were there lately: he didn’t quite look right on the time trial yesterday, and once the real mountains hit, he didn’t have that punch.
To be fair, it wasn’t a crash, no visible injury — just one of those moments where the body and mind say, “Nope. That’s it.”
Meanwhile, Pogacar Looked Like He Was Built for This
While one star fell away, another kept climbing. Pogacar — as usual — looked like the mountain was his home turf. Cool, controlled, and, yeah… totally ruthless.
He’s not just winning. He’s owning this Tour now. Every time there’s a chance to put more time into his rivals, he takes it. He doesn’t play it safe. That’s why fans love him and why rivals probably dread seeing him behind them on a climb.
The Mountains Don’t Lie
It’s been said a thousand times, but it’s never less true: the high mountains strip everything away. Ego, expectations, tactics — gone. You’re either ready or you’re not.
Evenepoel wasn’t. Not today. And it hurt to watch.
He’s 25, incredibly talented, and this wasn’t supposed to be his peak Tour anyway. But for fans who hoped to see him go toe-to-toe with Pogacar or Vingegaard into the final week? That dream ended in the fog, somewhere between one hairpin and the next.
One of Those Days
Stage 14 didn’t just rearrange the leaderboard. It rewrote the vibe of the whole race. Remco’s out. Pogacar’s in command. And the Tour reminds us again that it doesn’t care about hype. It just tells the truth — one pedal stroke at a time.