Evenepoel, the reigning time trial Olympic and world champion, was expected to win the stage in the absence of time trial specialists — Filippo Ganna and Stefan Bissegger, who both crashed and exited the race on the first day of the Tour last week.

Belgian Remco Evenepoel lived up to his favourite's tag in the individual time trial by winning stage five of the Tour de France on Wednesday, with defending champion Tadej Pogacar's second place enough to take hold of the leader's yellow jersey.

Reigning Olympic time trial champion Remco Evenepoel should be a major factor in Caen as Tadej Pogacar, Mathieu van der Poel battle for overall lead.