Remco Evenepoel secured a victory in the 16th stage of the Tour de France, clocking the fastest time in Tuesday’s 26.1-kilometer individual time trial from Évian-les-Bains to Thonon-les-Bains. The time trial featured a 16.4-kilometer climb up the category 2 Côte de Larringes, followed by a technical descent and a flat finish. Evenepoel completed the course in 32 minutes and 19 seconds, finishing 28 seconds ahead of race leader Tadej Pogačar and over a minute faster than Mattias Skjelmose, the previous fastest rider on the stage. This win marked Evenepoel’s second consecutive stage victory after his Sunday triumph on the Plateau de Solaison.

Despite the success for Evenepoel and his Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe team, the day was marred by the crash and withdrawal of co-leader Florian Lipowitz. The German rider, who had been placed fifth overall and finished third in last year’s Tour, lost control while negotiating a sharp corner with about 6.4 kilometers remaining. He slid across the road and collided with the sidewalk curb, sustaining what appeared to be a shoulder injury that forced him to abandon the race. Evenepoel expressed his sympathy for Lipowitz, calling it a “bittersweet pill” and acknowledging the difficulty of continuing without his teammate.

Pogačar maintained his overall lead but suffered a minor wobble on the same corner where Lipowitz crashed. His gap over Evenepoel in the general classification now stands at four minutes and 32 seconds. British rider Tom Pidcock delivered a solid performance in the time trial, finishing 12th and moving up to eighth place overall, despite time trialing not being his strongest discipline.

The stage also drew attention to the controversy surrounding anti-doping tests conducted in the early hours of Sunday morning. Both Pogačar and two-time winner Jonas Vingegaard were subjected to unannounced doping controls at 5 a.m. and 2 a.m., respectively. Vingegaard later crashed during the 15th stage, fracturing his collarbone and withdrawing from the Tour. Pogačar criticized the early timing of the tests, suggesting they may have contributed to Vingegaard’s fatigue and accident, though he acknowledged the necessity of random testing to maintain race integrity.

The International Testing Agency (ITA), responsible for anti-doping procedures since 2021 on behalf of cycling’s governing body UCI, defended the timing of the controls, stating that testing outside standard hours is permitted under the World Anti-Doping Code and UCI rules, and aims to ensure the effectiveness of the anti-doping program. While riders expressed frustration with being woken during rest periods, the ITA emphasized the need to preserve the fairness and transparency of the sport. The riders’ association, CPA, has not yet commented on the matter.

The Tour de France continues toward its final stages, with the race set to conclude in Paris on July 26.