Might we see the double Olympic champ, Remco Evenepoel make his Ronde van Vlaanderen debut this year? Although the Monument on is not part of his current race programme, the Red Bull–BORA–hansgrohe leader has been listed as first reserve for the team’s selection, according to Het Laatste Nieuws and Wielerflits. That status also applies to Milan–Sanremo, though sources suggest the Italian classic is now unlikely.
Evenepoel has said that there is no need to rush changes to a carefully planned season, with his focus firmly on upcoming stage races. After the UAE Tour, he is scheduled for an altitude camp on Mount Teide alongside Primož Roglič and Florian Lipowitz, before targeting the Volta a Catalunya as his first major objective.With Flanders taking place a week after Catalunya, a late decision remains possible.But after the UAE Tour, his upcoming schedule should be made a bit more official. Given the length of the training camp though, Milano–Sanremo is effectively ruled out
Flying start to 2026
Evenepoel has begun the season in absolutely magnificent fashion. It’s barely February and the Belgian has five wins, including the overall at the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana. In Spain, he wrecked the competition in the TT, and took a glorious solo win on Stage 4. Plus, he took three one-day races in a row at the end of January in Spain. Not a bad start.
“I never got into trouble at the Volta,” Evenepoel said. “We were always in control. This is a great start. I’m going to try to hold on to this feeling. I can attack hard and then pull through. The hard work of this winter is already paying off. There is certainly still room for improvement. If I have a smooth winter, I’m always in shape pretty quickly. But certainly not in top form yet.”
Evenepoel has big ambitions for this year–including trying to narrow the gap between the seemingly unbeatable Tadej Pogačar.
Sven Vanthourenhout, directeur sportif of his team, in an interview with Het Laatste Nieuws, said they, like everyone else well aware of Pogačar’s dominance on long climbs, but want to try and help Evenepoel stay competitive.
“Pogačar can sustain an acceleration longer than anyone else. For several minutes, he can push twenty, thirty, even forty watts above the rest, then it settles back to a more ‘normal’ level,” he said. The DS says Evenepoel’s baseline fitness is already very close to the road world champ’s but there’s room to enhance his capacity for very intense efforts. “It’s no secret that targeted interval training can address this,” he said.
Given his performances to start the year, are we set for a proper ball game at the 2026 Tour de France between Pogi and Evenepoel?