• Remco Evenepoel wins stage five time trial, demonstrating his prowess as the favorite.
• Tadej Pogacar takes the yellow jersey, leading the general classification by 42 seconds.
• Jonas Vingegaard and Mathieu van der Poel struggle in the time trial, impacting overall standings.

Belgian rider Remco Evenepoel showcased his skills by winning the individual time trial on stage five of the Tour de France, completing the 33-km route around Caen in 36 minutes and 42 seconds—a remarkable 16 seconds ahead of Tadej Pogacar, who claimed the yellow jersey from Mathieu van der Poel. Evenepoel's triumph marks his dominance in time trials, as he previously won both the world and Olympic championships in the discipline, according to Reuters and BBC.

Pogacar's second place finish reinforced his position at the top of the general classification, giving him a significant 42-second lead over Evenepoel and plunging Vingegaard to fourth overall after a disappointing 13th place in the time trial. This event marked a pivotal moment as Pogacar became the first rider since Eddy Merckx in 1970 to hold the yellow, green, and polka-dot jerseys at this stage of the Tour, according to Le Monde and BBC.

The stage's flat terrain favored powerful cyclists like Evenepoel, who utilized a perfect aerodynamic position to achieve a high average speed. He expressed satisfaction with his performance, stating, "I didn’t really feel like I could go any faster," as he made full use of the tailwind in the latter half of the race. Meanwhile, Vingegaard’s struggle highlighted the intense competition this year, as he shifted to a deficit of over a minute from Pogacar, according to Reuters and Le Monde.