Evenepoel wins again 24 hours after the Tour

Remco Evenepoel has only had time to celebrate the best Tour de France of his career. Less than 24 hours after stepping onto the podium of the Champs-Élysées as the second overall finisher, the Belgian put on a race number again and claimed victory at the Natourcriterium in Aalst, his hometown, on a day that served as a tribute to his performance in the Grande Boucle and as preparation for his next big goal: the Clásica de San Sebastián this Saturday.

Remco Evenepoel doesn't stop: wins just 24 hours after finishing the Tour de France and is already thinking about San Sebastián

The Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe rider took victory in the traditional Belgian criterium, finishing ahead of the new Belgian national champion, Rune Herregodts (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), and Valentin Paret-Peintre (Soudal-Quick-Step), in front of a crowd that, according to Flemish media, numbered around 75,000 spectators.

From the podium in Paris to victory in Aalst in less than a day

On Sunday afternoon, Evenepoel was celebrating in Paris the second place in the Tour de France 2026 alongside Tadej Pogačar and Isaac del Toro. Hours later, after the podium ceremony, team dinner, and sponsor commitments, the Belgian barely had time to rest before returning to Belgium.

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“We celebrated a bit with the team, with some food and drink. In the end, I went to bed around two-thirty in the morning. It was a short night,” explained the double Olympic champion to Belgian media.

Despite the accumulated fatigue after three weeks of competition, Evenepoel once again put in a strong performance and took victory in a festive event, very common in Belgium and the Netherlands after the conclusion of the Tour.

“It's my city, and this race fits perfectly into my schedule. It allows me to stay active before San Sebastián,” he pointed out.

The Belgian also acknowledged that he has not yet fully processed what he achieved during the Tour.

“I don't have too much energy left, but I do have a lot of motivation. Everything that has happened this month still hasn't settled in. Now I will stay focused until Saturday, and then I will have time to process it.”

The best Tour de France of his career

The second place achieved in the Tour represents Evenepoel's best result in the French race and makes the Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe rider the first Belgian cyclist to finish second in the general classification since Lucien Van Impe in 1981.

In addition to the final podium, the Belgian secured two stage victories, including a prestigious win in high mountains, at Plateau de Solaison, firmly establishing himself as one of the top contenders to fight for the Tour in the coming seasons.

Next stop: conquer San Sebastián for the fourth time

Rest will still have to wait. Before taking a vacation, Evenepoel will tackle this Saturday a goal marked in red on his calendar: the Clásica de San Sebastián.

The Basque race is one of the Belgian's favorite events, which he has already won in 2022, 2023, and 2025. If he raises his arms again this weekend, he will achieve his fourth victory in the Donostia classic, a record that would further enhance his status as a dominant force in the event.

Evenepoel himself has acknowledged that all his planning after the Tour is aimed at arriving in the best possible condition for that date.

“Aalst fits perfectly into my program because it allows me to keep my legs active and intense until the Clásica de San Sebastián,” he explained.

After the Spanish race, the Belgian will indeed conclude an intense competitive block that began a month ago and has allowed him to complete the brightest Tour of his career and confirm that he is now fully established as one of the great references in world cycling.