Tour de France Stage 16: Evenepoel Obliterates Time Trial After Teammate Lipowitz Crashes Out

Remco Evenepoel delivered the expected masterclass on Tuesday by obliterating the stage 16 time trial of the Tour de France.

The triple time trial champion topped the leaderboard and padded his second-pace GC position in the only ITT of the race.

Yellow jersey Tadej Pogačar (UAE Emirates-XRG) punched to the line 28 seconds behind Evenepoel in second place to retain his absolute choke-hold on the race. Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek) delivered the surprise of the day by finishing third at 1:04.

Meanwhile, the fight for the white jersey intensified Tuesday. The 19-year-old phenom Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM) finished 4th, just 5 seconds ahead of his 22-year-old “best young rider” rival Isaac del Toro (UAE).

Evenepoel was top favorite for the win Tuesday.The aero bullet didn’t disappoint by delivering his second stage-win in a row in his first Tour de France for Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe.

“I was feeling really good,” Evenepoel said at the finish. “The first few kilometers I was pushing good power and I was telling myself that I needed to hold back. It made me think a bit about my TT in Rwanda [2025 road worlds – ed] where I had a big gap in the beginning. But I have to say Tadej was also very impressive,” Evenepoel continued. “He was really close to me always, it was a big challenge to keep my gap. I am just super happy with everything that happened today.”

Lipowitz crashes out of 5th on GC

Stage 16 was one of very mixed fortunes for Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe.

Evenepoel’s second win in a row was overshadowed by his teammate Florian Lipowitz abandoning the race.

The German star, who finished third overall in 2025, slid out on a fast right-hand corner mid-way through the course and clattered into the roadside barriers. He got up off the floor but didn’t get back on the bike. After starting the stage 5th on GC, he walked away with race medics, nursing what looked like a fractured collarbone.

“I’ve just been told my teammate Lipowitz crashed,” Evenepoel said at the finish. “It’s very unfortunate, it is a bittersweet pill to swallow with this victory.

“I wish him all the best. I hope he is not too bad.”

The result Tuesday consolidates Evenepoel’s position in second overall. He’s now more than two minutes ahead of third place Del Toro. Seixas lurks only 20 seconds behind the Mexican.

The race for third and the white jersey will be the most exciting storyline of week three.

No space for the specialists in hilly TT

Two minor dramas studded the start of the stage.

Pogačar’s U.S. domestique Brandon McNulty was knocked off his bike by a car driver when he pedaled to the start. The Arizonan was unhurt.

An hour or so later, Thymen Arensman saw a far from perfect start to his shot at a top TT result. The Dutchman arrived to the start ramp late and lost precious seconds before he finished agonizingly close to a standout placing.

Mattia Cattaneo (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) topped the leaderboard when the GC bigs started their efforts.

Evenepoel blasted out of the start ramp like a rocket, resplendent in his rainbow skinsuit. The 26-year-old thundered up the opening climb and went 21 seconds faster than the previous best split in just eight minutes. The three-time TT champion continued to crush every section of the course from there.

Lidl-Trek saw a surprise reversal between its leadership duo as Juan Ayuso suffered an off-day on the TT bike. The Spaniard finished more than one minute back on teammate Skjelmose to leave the two separated by only 52 seconds on GC. Watch for a Lidl-Trek rivalry brewing in the Alps.

With 500 meters of gain on the course, hulking TT specialists Josh Tarling and Filippo Ganna (both Netcompany Ineos) were out of the picture in the final standings.

Tour de France stage 16 time trial results: