Remco Evenepoel Powers to Fastest TT Win Ever on Monster 68t Chainring

Remco Evenepoel reminded everyone Tuesday he’s the best in the world against the clock in another time trial masterclass to double up with the stage win and the race lead at the UAE Tour.

The Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe barreled to his seventh win in 2026 in a short but reaffirming victory in Tuesday’s 12.2km individual time trial to surge into the overall leader’s jersey.

Racing with a massive, 68t single chainring, Evenepoel went off early as the fifth starter in a bid to avoid increasing wind. He settled into the hot seat for nearly two hours until overnight leader Isaac del Toro (UAE Emirates-XRG) was last off the ramp.

“It was pretty quick. The course completely flat, not super technical, so it was the perfect course to try and ride that fast,” Evenepoel said. “So I’m very happy to have done it today.

“We knew that that it was gonna be a bit better to start early,” he said. “[Del Toro] won yesterday, I won today, so I think we both have already one stage win in our pockets, so I think nobody has any regrets. I think from now on it’s gonna be the GC battle that will be open.”

Evenepoel set the benchmark in 13:03 at 56.1 km/h, the fastest average speed of his career.

He fended off challenges from Joshua Tarling (Ineos Grenadiers) by six seconds, with Rémi Cavagna (Groupama-FDJ United) at 12 seconds slower to win his 24th career individual time trial victory.

With the win, the Belgian aero bullet has won four time trials in a row as he continues to master the discipline.

Take away 12th in last year’s climbing time trial at the Tour de France and the final TT in Nice in 2024, and Evenepoel has won every time trial he’s started since the 2024 Critérium du Dauphiné.

Del Toro bled 42 seconds to drop to 10th overall, now 32 seconds back.

The GC battle hits overdrive Wednesday with the 183km third stage ending atop the brutal Jebel Mobrah climb. At 13.2km at 8.1 percent, plus the heat and wind, the stage will be the toughest climbing test so far in Evenepoel’s otherwise fairytale season debut.

“It is more comfortable to defend it than to have to attack. So I think this is a perfect situation for us, and now we have to try to defend it until Sunday,” Evenepoel said.