Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-Quickstep) opened up on his departure from the Tour de France, which shocked the Tour de France on the slopes of the Col du Tourmalet on Saturday. “It just wasn’t working, I was empty," Evenepoel told Dutch and Flemish journalists, including Nieuwsblad.

The 25-year-old Belgian rider, who was third overall, struggled early on as the peloton faced another day of suffering during Stage 14 from Pau to Luchon-Superbagnères.

Remco Evenepoel wasn’t the only casualty of Stage 14’s brutality. Mattias Skjelmose of Lidl-Trek, known for his climbing ability, also abandoned after an early crash. Meanwhile, race leader Tadej Pogacar continued his dominance, having already crushed his rivals in a recent time trial.