Evenepoel wins Tour time trial as Lipowitz crashes

Belgian rider Remco Evenepoel secured his second consecutive stage victory at the Tour de France on Tuesday, July 21, dominating a 26.1-kilometer individual time trial along the shores of Lake Geneva. The world time trial champion finished in 32 minutes and 19 seconds, beating overall race leader Tadej Pogačar by 28 seconds. The win, which came on Belgium's national day, cut Pogačar's overall lead to four minutes and 32 seconds but was overshadowed by the crash and abandonment of Evenepoel's teammate, Florian Lipowitz.

Lipowitz, who started the day fifth overall, crashed heavily on a right-hand bend during the technical descent portion of the course with approximately six kilometers remaining. The German rider slid across the road and remained on the ground, appearing to clutch his shoulder. He was unable to remount and continue, requiring medical attention and an ambulance ride off the course. His withdrawal ends his Tour and his bid for a podium finish, though an official diagnosis had not been immediately released.

Evenepoel described the victory as bittersweet upon learning of his teammate's fate. He expressed pride in winning on the national holiday but said he would miss...