Evenepoel rides well in Britain and evaluates after 2 days

Remco Evenepoel did not miss his start in the Tour of Britain. The Belgian of Soudal Quick-Step joined the race on Wednesday in the second stage, which Stephen Williams of Israel-Premier Tech eventually won. Evenepoel finished fifth and made an intermediate assessment afterward.

"We had a plan to take our responsibility and attack," Evenepoel explained. "Julian Alaphilippe felt comfortable, and we rode for him. There was a faster rider in the final, but Julian jumped in the GC and could compete for a good result."

"I'm here to ride for him and help the team as much as possible, working on my form in the meantime," the Tour de France number three said. "I'm happy with how things have gone so far, and we'll try again in the next stages."

Williams thanks teammates after victory

So Williams won the stage, beating Alaphilippe and Oscar Onley. "This is my third time riding the Tour of Britain, but so far, I have never won. Winning in the UK is a special feeling because we don't ride here often either."

"It was a technical stage with many turns, so it was crucial to ride from the front. The way the guys kept me at the front was perfect. That allowed me to start the climbs in perfect position," Williams said. "Joseph Blackmore also did really well in the final, which allowed me to rely on my sprint in the final."

Williams is also the new leader. "There are some tough days ahead, but we'll take it day by day. It's a multi-day race, and anything can happen during that."