Remco Evenepoel took a close look this week at what could be one of this year’s Tour de France decisive climbs, tackling the Col de la Loze during a reconnaissance ride from Courchevel. The Belgian climbed the 26.2km ascent alongside teammates Max Schachmann and Valentin Paret-Peintre as Soudal-QuickStep continued their altitude camp in the Alps, with the Tour now just days away.
Evenepoel’s verdict was short but telling: “It’s tough, eh? It’s very irregular. The climb is very, very long.”
At 2,304 metres above sea level, the Col de la Loze is the highest summit of the 2025 route and closes out stage 17, a 171km monster with over 5,800 metres of elevation. By the time the riders hit the Loze, they’ll already have gone over the Glandon and Madeleine – two of the most storied Alpine climbs in the race’s history. It’s the kind of day where the general classification will be reshaped, and where bad legs will be punished without mercy.
Courchevel Sports Outdoor, who captured the Soudal-QuickStep recon on Sunday, shared a brief interview with Evenepoel at the top. “It’s the longest climb of the Tour de France this year,” he said. “Arriving here is never easy, and it’s the first time we’ll be climbing from Courchevel. I think it will be a pretty tough stage with the Glandon and the Madeleine. It won’t be easy, but it will be a great stage.”
The Loze has history in the Tour, too. In 2020, it saw Miguel Ángel López ride to a solo win as Roglič and Pogačar traded blows. In 2023, it was where Pogačar cracked spectacularly and lost the Tour to Vingegaard. That context isn’t lost on Evenepoel, who’s been trying to close the gap to those two over the past 12 months. His fourth place at the Critérium du Dauphiné was solid, if not spectacular, but he remains something of an unknown over multiple summit finishes in a single Grand Tour.
Also spotted on the Loze that day was Visma-Lease a Bike, with Jonas Vingegaard joined by Wout van Aert, Matteo Jorgenson and Victor Campenaerts. The defending champion remains something of a mystery after his crash earlier this season, but his presence here suggests he’s targeting this climb again as a key battleground. UAE Team Emirates, meanwhile, are training further south at Isola 2000, with Pogačar dialling in his final preparations away from his rivals.
Evenepoel’s recon comes as he tries to refine not just his physical preparation, but also his race-day knowledge and pacing on the biggest climbs. There’s no margin for error on the Loze – gradients change without warning, the road narrows high up, and the altitude saps strength even before the final steep ramps.
For Evenepoel, who has never raced the Tour before, this is part of a broader learning process. Reconnaissance isn’t just about recognising where the climbs begin – it’s about understanding when to push, where to hold back, and what it feels like when there’s nowhere left to hide. His early impressions suggest he’s under no illusions.
