Remco Evenepoel just dropped a massive bombshell on the cycling world.
2026 Tour of Flanders – Men
The Olympic champion announced on Tuesday that he will officially race the Tour of Flanders this Sunday. This is a huge surprise for the entire peloton.
He wasted absolutely no time getting ready for the brutal Belgian cobbles. Just one day after the shock announcement, he was already out on the course.
He joined his Red Bull Bora Hansgrohe teammates for a crucial reconnaissance ride. Evenepoel and Jan Tratnik tackled the final 80 kilometers of the race. They started their crucial test on the legendary Oude Kwaremont.
The Koppenberg Chaos
But the real drama happened on the Koppenberg.
The iconic cobbled climb was an absolute mess on Wednesday morning. A truck accident forced officials to close the road temporarily. The incident left a thick layer of mud plastered all over the steep stones.
It turned the climb into an ice rink. The cobbles were incredibly slick and treacherous. It took a while for crews to finally clear the muck away.
For Evenepoel and his group, it turned into a sudden cyclocross session. Riders were slipping and sliding everywhere. Many were forced to unclip and walk up the brutal gradients.
But Remco proved his bike handling is fully dialed in.
The 26 year old Belgian was one of the very few riders who actually managed to pedal all the way to the top without putting a foot down.
He conquered the mud while others slipped away. Is this a brilliant omen for the superstar ahead of the weekend?
The Tour of Flanders is just days away. The biggest race in Belgium just got a whole lot more interesting.