Stage 20: "We could have taken more risks for the stage victory"

In the latest edition, Denk reflects on Stage 20 of the 2026 Tour de France. “We’re extremely happy with the stage. The whole team did a fantastic job,” says the 52-year-old. “You can debate whether we should have brought Jai Hindley back earlier or whether Remco should have attacked sooner. But our primary objective was to secure second place in the overall classification. We could have taken more risks to go for the stage win. We probably would have done so if we hadn’t already had two stage victories in the bag,” the team manager emphasizes. Asked whether Evenepoel is currently in the best form of his career, Denk replies with a clear “Yes,” adding: “He already finished third in the Tour two years ago. But cycling has evolved tremendously. With the level of performance he showed two years ago, he wouldn’t be standing on the podium today.” The feature segment focuses on the closing celebration in Paris, where Denk shares details about the team’s party at the end of the Tour de France. The final part looks ahead to Stage 21, which will be raced on Sunday. The riders will cover 89 kilometers around Paris. “Remco became Olympic champion on a very similar circuit. But tomorrow, our approach will once again be to get through the stage safely. If an opportunity arises to fight for the stage victory, we’ll take it,” Denk concludes.