Remco Evenepoel powered to victory in the Tour de France’s first race against the clock, covering the 33-kilometre course around Caen in 36 minutes 42 seconds. The world and Olympic time-trial champion finished 16 seconds ahead of Tadej Pogacar, while Visma-Lease a Bike’s Edoardo Affini was third, 33 seconds back. Evenepoel’s display could not prevent Pogacar from taking the overall lead. The UAE Team Emirates rider, second on the stage, moved into the yellow jersey with an aggregate time of 17 hours 22 minutes 58 seconds and now tops the points and mountains classifications as well. Evenepoel is 42 seconds adrift in second place, and Frenchman Kevin Vauquelin, buoyed by a fifth-place ride, sits third at 59 seconds. The day was costly for two-time champion Jonas Vingegaard, who conceded 1 minute 05 seconds to Pogacar and slipped to fourth overall, 1 minute 13 seconds behind. With only one more time trial remaining and the Pyrenees looming, the Dane faces an uphill task to reclaim ground as the race heads south on Thursday’s hilly 201-kilometre stage from Bayeux to Vire-Normandie.