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Remco Evenepoel wins Tour de France stage 16 time trial, cuts Pogacar lead amid crash and night anti‑doping tests
Belgian Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel claimed victory in the individual time trial of Stage 16 of the 2026 Tour de France, completing the 26.1 km route from Évian‑les‑Bains to Thonon‑les‑Bains in 32:19. His win reduced Slovenia’s Tadej Pogacar’s overall advantage to 4 minutes 32 seconds; Pogacar finished second, 28 seconds behind, with Denmark’s Mattias Skjelmose third.
German rider Florian Lipowitz crashed on a sharp bend eight kilometres from the finish, suffered a left‑arm injury and withdrew from the race. He had been fifth in the general classification before the fall. Lipowitz’s exit followed the earlier abandonment of Denmark’s Jonas Vingegaard, who left the Tour after a crash on the previous stage.
The stage also sparked debate over night anti‑doping controls after the International Testing Agency (ITA) woke Pogacar and Vingegaard for tests in the early hours. The ITA defended the practice as necessary for “effective and intelligent” anti‑doping, while cyclists and unions criticised the disturbance to athletes’ sleep and recovery.