Patrick Evenepoel has revealed that his family continues to face direct threats and racist abuse aimed at his son’s wife, Oumi Rayane, while insisting Remco (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) should keep pursuing Tour de France victory after finishing second overall.
Speaking in an interview published by HLN on Sunday, Patrick said the family felt pride, joy, happiness and relief after Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) secured the best Tour result of his career.
Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates XRG) won the Tour, with Evenepoel finishing 6:26 behind him and Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates XRG) completing the podium at 9:42. Patrick said second place carried the feeling of a victory during a period dominated by Pogačar.
Unfortunately, Evenepoel’s performances at the Tour have not stopped racist abuse directed at his wife, Oumi, on social media. Patrick said the hostility formed part of the personal cost of his son’s career, despite the family’s satisfaction with the result.
“In Remco’s case, racism is also involved, directed at Oumi and her family,” Evenepoel said to HLN. “Even extending to direct threats that we, as parents, still receive in that regard.”
Evenepoel has been the target of intense criticism for much of his career after dominating in the junior rankings. He has been criticised for his climbing ability, race programme, having not raced since April at Liège-Bastogne-Liège in build-up to the Tour as well as his general prospects against Pogačar.
Velora Cycling has also observed racist abuse directed at Evenepoel and his family in the comments beneath its own social media posts, including racial slurs posted on otherwise routine race videos (we have removed or hidden these where possible).
In a sense, Evenepoel answered the performance questions by taking second in the final GC of the 2026 Tour de France, as well as two stage wins – one was a summit finish on the Plateau de Solaison, a steep and testing climb, and the other a win in the individual time trial.
He also took an impressive second place on stage 20 to Alpe d’Huez where the race tackled the final 4km of the climb after riding up the Col de Sarenne beforehand. He wasn’t quite able to catch breakaway rider and stage winner Richard Carapaz. Evenepoel visibly showed his frustration after the stage, drawing criticism for being disrespectful toward a team staff member who was celebrating his stage and GC second place, an incident captured in a video on SBS Sport’s Instagram post.
Patrick Evenepoel also discussed the change following the departure of Evenepoel’s coach, Dan Lorang. “Apparently Tim's (Heemskerk, ed.) approach is still different,” he said. “I don't know the details, but I do know that he calls and consults with him every day.”
Evenepoel’s father said that the family is immensely proud of their son and that they are confident he is heading in the right direction to potentially challenge for overall victory one day. “He doesn’t have to win the Tour five times, does he? Once is enough,” Evenepoel’s father, Patrick, said.
Cover image credit: Thomas Maheux
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