54kph and 400 watts: the numbers behind Remco Evenepoel's Tour de France success

54kph and 400 watts: the numbers behind Remco Evenepoel's Tour de France success

An insight into the time trial world champion's extraordinary ability

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Remco Evenepoel won the first individual time trial of the 2025 Tour de France yesterday.

The time trial world champion was a firm favourite for the stage win. But the result also saw him rise to second in the general classification behind Tadej Pogačar and lead the white jersey competition. 

Yet, the young Belgian is an intriguing rider. His career has been marred by injury and at a diminutive height, it’s a surprise he can power past the likes of Filippo Ganna in TTs as well as keeping up with the likes of Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard when the road begins to rise.

So how does he do it? Here, we round up the numbers that lie behind his success. 

1.5

CAEN, FRANCE - JULY 09: Remco Evenepoel of Belgium and Team Soudal Quick-Step competes during the 112th Tour de France, Stage 5 a 33km individual time trial stage from Caen to Caen / #UCIWT / on July 09, 2025 in Caen, France. (Photo by Dario Belingheri/Getty Images)
Evenepoel came into the 2025 Tour de France a step ahead compared to 2024. Dario Belingheri / Getty Images

Evenepoel’s fine form at the Tour de France has a lot to do with his lead-up to the race. 

Before the Critérium du Dauphiné, the shorter stage race used by pros as a test run for the Tour, Evenepoel was 1.5kg lighter than at the same time last year. 

His Soudal-Quickstep team said this helped put the 61kg rider a step ahead of last year for the Tour.   

6.5 

You might wonder how such a light rider can be so good at time trials, where larger riders who are capable of producing high power often reign supreme. 

One example of these riders is hour-record holder and 1.93cm-tall Filippo Ganna, but Evenepoel beat the Italian to win the time trial world championship last year.

The answer could be Evenepoel’s power-to-weight ratio of 6.5kg, as revealed in 2022 by general manager of Soudal-Quickstep, Patrick Lefevere.

While that number is from three years ago, Evenepoel has said his performance is still similar to 2022. 

40 

Evenepoel's 2020 crash at Il Lombardia was horrifying – with 50km to go, the young rider flipped over the barriers and landed in a section of forest. Tim de Waele / Getty Images

Despite winning the 2022 Vuelta a España and two Olympic gold medals in Paris last year, the 25-year-old Evenepoel hasn’t had the easiest career, having spent roughly 40 weeks off the bike with injuries.

In 2020, Evenepoel crashed in Il Lombardia and fractured his pelvis, which put him out for around 26 weeks. 

Last year, Evenepoel was out for a total of 14 weeks. He crashed in April at the Itzulia Basque Country, fracturing his collarbone and scapula, and had a training accident in December in which he fractured his ribs, scapula and hand. 

53.95 

Soudal Quick-Step team's Belgian rider Remco Evenepoel celebrates on the podium after winning the 5th stage of the 112th edition of the Tour de France cycling race, 33 km individual time trial starting and finishing in Caen, northwestern France, on July 9, 2025. (Photo by Loic VENANCE / AFP) (Photo by LOIC VENANCE/AFP via Getty Images)
Evenepoel averaged 53.95kph to win the stage 5 time trial at the Tour de France. Loic Venance / Getty Images

This is the average speed in km Evenepoel achieved to win stage 5 of the Tour de France, covering the 33km course in 36 min 42 sec.  

Pogačar came second on the stage, 16 seconds down on Evenepoel. This meant the Slovenian took the yellow jersey from Mathieu van der Poel – an early leader of the Tour – and now has a 1 min 13 sec advantage over Jonas Vingegaard. 

64 

Yesterday’s stage takes Evenepoel’s professional wins to 64. 

This includes another stage win at the Tour de France in 2024, a total of five stages at the Vuelta a España, the general classification of the 2020 Tour de Pologne, the 2023 UAE Tour, two editions of Liège–Bastogne–Liège and the 2024 Olympic road race. 

21 of Evenepoel’s 64 wins were time trials. Alongside last year’s world championship, he won the 2024 Olympic individual time trial and he is the current Belgian champion.  

400

TAVIRA, PORTUGAL - FEBRUARY 19: Remco Evenepoel of Belgium and Team Quick-Step - Alpha Vinyl White Best Young Rider Jersey sprints during the 48th Volta Ao Algarve 2022 - Stage 4 a 32,2km individual time trial from Vila Real de Santo António to Tavira / #VAlgarve2022 / on February 19, 2022 in Tavira, Portugal. (Photo by Luc Claessen/Getty Images)
After winning the time trial at the 2022 Volta ao Algave, Evenepoel briefly exposed his power output on Strava. Luc Claessen / Getty Images

We don’t have specific details of what power Evenepoel puts out for his time trials, but there have been hints. 

Although his power meter broke during the 2024 time trial world championships, after the event Evenepoel said he tries to stay close to a power output of 400 watts. 

We had proof of this when Evenepoel uploaded his 2022 Volta ao Algarve time trial victory to Strava. He briefly forgot to hide the power data, which showed he averaged 392 watts over 38 minutes of riding. 

While it’s humbling to see a pro struggle with his Strava upload, we can’t imagine ever concealing such a feat. 

In fact, we’d probably shout it from the top of Mont Ventoux.