Evenepoel wins time trial for back-to-back Tour de France stage victories, Pogačar still leads

THONON-LES-BAINS, France (AP) — Time trial world champion Remco Evenepoel was fastest Tuesday as he won the 16th stage of the Tour de France to shave 28 seconds off Tadej Pogačar’s commanding lead.

Evenepoel completed the 26.1-kilometer individual time trial in 32 minutes, 19 seconds, more than a minute faster than Mattias Skjelmose, the previous quickest, before the Belgian rider waited to see Pogačar cross the line with the second-best effort of the day.

It is the third year straight that Evenepoel has won a time trial at the Tour. His parents and family members were present on Belgium's national holiday to see him take back-to-back stage victories after winning the 15th stage on Sunday. Monday was a rest day.

His teammate Florian Lipowitz crashed out, however. The German rider slipped going around a sharp bend toward the finish and slid across the road into the sidewalk kerb. He was unable to continue with what looked like a shoulder injury.

“It’s a bittersweet pill to swallow with this victory. I wish him all the best and I hope he’s not too bad,” Evenepoel said of his Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe teammate. “I will really miss him for the whole week.”

Pogačar had a wobble going around the same corner where Lipowitz crashed but recovered to continue.

The four-time Tour champion leads second-place Evenepoel by 4 minutes, 32 seconds with five stages remaining.

“Tadej is on his way to win a fifth Tour de France,” Evenepoel said of a feat that would move the Slovenian rider level with Belgium’s Eddy Merckx, Spain’s Miguel Indurain and French riders Jacques Anquetil and Bernard Hinault.

“I think it’s just amazing that I can be a bit close to him,” he said of Pogačar. “It’s an honor to race with him ... so, for me, it’s a big step forward that I can at least be a bit around him and I try to learn from him.”

Pogačar’s main rival Jonas Vingegaard crashed out on Sunday after the leading two riders had been woken for early-morning doping controls.

Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe riders had doping controls on Monday, but their sleep was not interrupted.

Paxti Vila, director sportif of the Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe team, had mixed feelings after the stage.

“One side you’re happy because we won, but the other side you are kind of sad because Florian had that crash at kilometer 19.8 on that right turn,” Vila said. “He’s still on the way to the hospital. Let’s see when the medical update arrives.”

Lipowitz, Germany's top rider, had been fifth in the general classification before Tuesday’s stage.

It was the only individual time trial of the Tour, starting in Évian-les-Bains beside Lake Geneva with a 16.4K climb up the category 2 Côte de Larringes, then a technical descent before a straight road into Thonon-les-Bains.

American rider Brandon McNulty had a run in with an angry motorist on his way to the start.

The race ends Sunday in Paris.

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Slovenia's Tadej Pogacar, wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey, rides during the sixteenth stage of the Tour de France cycling race, an indivdual time-trial with start in Evian-Les-Bains and finish in Thonon-les-Bains, France, Tuesday, July 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Belgium's Remco Evenepoel arrives on the podium after winning the sixteenth stage of the Tour de France cycling race, an indivdual time-trial with start in Evian-Les-Bains and finish in Thonon-les-Bains, France, Tuesday, July 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)

Belgium's Remco Evenepoel rides to the podium after the sixteenth stage of the Tour de France cycling race, an indivdual time-trial with start in Evian-Les-Bains and finish in Thonon-les-Bains, France, Tuesday, July 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)

Slovenia's Tadej Pogacar, wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey, rides during the sixteenth stage of the Tour de France cycling race, an indivdual time-trial with start in Evian-Les-Bains and finish in Thonon-les-Bains, France, Tuesday, July 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Slovenia's Tadej Pogacar, wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey, rides during the sixteenth stage of the Tour de France cycling race, an indivdual time-trial with start in Evian-Les-Bains and finish in Thonon-les-Bains, France, Tuesday, July 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Slovenia's Tadej Pogacar, wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey, rides during the sixteenth stage of the Tour de France cycling race, an indivdual time-trial with start in Evian-Les-Bains and finish in Thonon-les-Bains, France, Tuesday, July 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Belgium's Remco Evenepoel rides during the sixteenth stage of the Tour de France cycling race, an indivdual time-trial with start in Evian-Les-Bains and finish in Thonon-les-Bains, France, Tuesday, July 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Belgium's Remco Evenepoel rides during the sixteenth stage of the Tour de France cycling race, an indivdual time-trial with start in Evian-Les-Bains and finish in Thonon-les-Bains, France, Tuesday, July 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

TORONTO (AP) — Nick Fortes and Yandy Díaz each hit a three-run homer, Jonny DeLuca added two hits and three RBIs and the Tampa Bay Rays had a season-high 21 hits in a 12-2 rout of the slumping Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday night.

Ben Williamson and Chandler Simpson each had four hits for the AL East-leading Rays, and Junior Caminero went 2 for 3 with three walks.

Drew Rasmussen (8-5) allowed two runs and seven hits in five-plus innings as the Rays won for the seventh time in eight meetings with the Blue Jays.

Fortes went 3 for 5 with four RBIs. His homer off Lazaro Estrada in the fifth inning was his fourth of the season and second in two games.

Díaz homered off Patrick Corbin in the ninth, his 14th.

Caminero's only out came when he grounded out in the ninth against position player Myles Straw. Caminero has at least one hit in each of his 14 career games at Toronto.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. went 0 for 4 as Toronto lost for the sixth time in seven games. The defending AL champs have scored four runs in their past four games.

The Rays jumped on Kevin Gausman, scoring three runs with two outs in the first. Caminero walked and Cedric Mullins doubled before both scored on DeLuca’s hit. DeLuca stole second and scored on Simpson’s single.

Gausman (4-9) allowed five runs, four earned, and nine hits in 3 1/3 innings, extending his winless streak to 10 starts. He’s 0-6 with a 6.10 ERA since beating Pittsburgh on May 22.

Toronto used three singles to load the bases with one out in the bottom of the first, but Rasmussen got Daulton Varsho to fly out and struck out Kazuma Okamoto.

RHP Griffin Jax (5-7, 4.08 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Rays on Wednesday. The Blue Jays had not named a starter.

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Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Ben Williamson catches a line drive off the bat of Toronto Blue Jays' Daulton Varsho for the out during the fourth inning of a baseball game in Toronto on Tuesday, July 21, 2026. (Jon Blacker/The Canadian Press via AP)

Tampa Bay Rays' Cedric Mullins (31) hits a double against the Toronto Blue Jays during the first inning of a baseball game in Toronto on Tuesday, July 21, 2026. (Jon Blacker/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Kevin Gausman throws to a Tampa Bay Rays batter during during the first inning of a baseball game in Toronto on Tuesday, July 21, 2026. (Jon Blacker/The Canadian Press via AP)

Tampa Bay Rays centre fielder Cedric Mullins (31) fields a ball off the bat of Toronto Blue Jays' Ernie Clement for a single during the first inning of a baseball game in Toronto on Tuesday, July 21, 2026. (Jon Blacker/The Canadian Press via AP)

Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Drew Rasmussen throws to a Toronto Blue Jays batter during the first inning of a baseball game in Toronto on Tuesday, July 21, 2026. (Jon Blacker/The Canadian Press via AP)