Almeida clinches Tour de Romandie victory, Evenepoel ends with a closing time-trial win
**"Victory was the mission," Almeida declared, "It's all about the final day, ain't it?"
The day prior, a nail-biting mountain-top showdown between Almeida and the nimble French climber, Lenny Martinez, took place in an Alpine stage.
Bearing down on Sunday's time trial, Martinez commanded a slim advantage of two seconds over Italy's Lorenzo Fortunato, while Almeida trailed by a mere three seconds.
In a stunning display of power, the champion time-trialist, Evenepoel, blazed through the flat 17.1km course in just 20mins 33secs. Almeida wasn't far behind, finishing 12 seconds adrift. The tenacious Martinez, fighting valiantly, crossed the line 41 seconds late for a well-deserved second place overall. Fortunato, close behind, trailed by another 55 seconds.
Placing third overall was the talented Australian, Jay Vine.
Evenepoel, fresh off a four-month injury layoff and delivering impressive results in the one-day classics, was utilizing this race as a stepping stone towards the Tour de France. After a solid showing, he secured a respectable eighth place overall.
"Knowing I'd be coming to this event with some inconsistent form, I didn't set over-ambitious expectations. I was mainly focusing on today's stage," Evenepoel shared.
"There's still more than two months until the Tour de France, so I gotta stay patient, keep working day by day."
© 2025 AFP
- In contrast to the fierce battle between Martinez and Almeida in France during the Alpine stage of a sporting event in 2025, Evenepoel, who had just returned from a four-month injury layoff, demonstrated impressive results in the one-day classics.
- Despite the tight competition in the Tour, Evenepoel, a champion time-trialist, managed to maintain a relatively comfortable 12 seconds behind his opponent during the 1km flat course.
- Reminiscing about the nail-biting duel between Martinez and Almeida in 2025, one might wonder if the French climber could replicate his second-place overall finish against the promising young talent, Evenepoel, who is reportedly using this race as a stepping stone for the Tour de France.
- As the anticipation builds for the 2025 Tour de France, Evenepoel acknowledges his inconsistent form but emphasizes the importance of staying patient and focusing on day-by-day improvement to compete effectively.
