Tour of Flanders debut for Remco Evenepoel: what can history tell us?

In 2024, António Morgado made his debut at just 20 years old in brutal conditions. It was a cold and rain soaked edition, with even winner Mathieu van der Poel finishing completely exhausted.

Morgado, not known for elite positioning, stayed relatively quiet early on. But as the race intensified, he steadily moved forward. On the final ascent of the Paterberg, he delivered an eye catching effort and still had enough left to contest the sprint for second place, eventually finishing fifth.

A remarkable debut.

In 2023, Neilson Powless tackled the Flemish classics for the first time. Just days earlier, he had already finished on the podium at Dwars door Vlaanderen, a race he would go on to win three years later.

Powless had long demonstrated his engine and endurance, with victories such as the Clásica San Sebastián and a strong fifth place at the World Championships in 2021.

He translated that form into his Tour of Flanders debut, climbing strongly on the final Paterberg and finishing fifth after a demanding race.

That same year, Matteo Jorgenson also impressed on debut. It was his first campaign in the Flemish classics, and prior to that, his one day race credentials were still developing.

However, a fourth place at E3 Saxo Classic nine days earlier hinted at his potential.

In Flanders, he made the decisive group behind Tadej Pogačar and Mathieu van der Poel. Lacking a top sprint, he finished ninth, but the performance itself marked a breakthrough.

It is no surprise to find Tadej Pogačar on this list. In 2022, he debuted in the race and immediately competed for victory.

He rode into Oudenaarde alongside Mathieu van der Poel. However, the duo let Van Baarle and Madouas come back in the final straight. Pogačar was trapped in the sprint and, due to that, missed the podium. The wonderkid was furious, but it was his own fault. 

A year later, he returned and won.

In 2019, Kasper Asgreen made his debut in the Tour of Flanders. The year before, he joined Deceuninck - Quick Step on April 1 and immediately rode his first Grand Tour at the Vuelta a España, an early indication of what was to come.

He did not start Flanders as a team leader, but purely as a domestique. Asgreen spent much of the early race on the front, attacking and anticipating moves, and consistently managing to stay in contention, highlighting his enormous engine.

In the finale, he was still part of the group fighting for second place. With a late attack in the final kilometres, he rode solo to a strong second place. It proved a clear reference point, as the Dane would go on to win the race two years later.

Mathieu van der Poel also made his debut in 2019, in dramatic fashion. Approaching the second Oude Kwaremont, he crashed heavily. For a moment, it looked as though his race was over, but he remounted and began chasing.

He moved through the field, jumping from group to group, and eventually made it back to the front group with a huge effort.

On the Kwaremont, Alberto Bettiol made the decisive move and went on to win. Van der Poel later admitted he had not seen the attack and believed he could have followed it.

He produced another major effort on the Paterberg, but a lack of cooperation in the group prevented them from closing the gap. In the sprint for third, he was beaten by Alexander Kristoff, finishing just off the podium despite arguably being the strongest rider in the race.

In 2019, Alejandro Valverde also lined up for his first Tour of Flanders, seeking a new challenge after already winning almost everything in the sport.

Known as a puncheur and climber, he adapted impressively to the cobbled bergs, delivering a strong performance to finish eighth.

Despite the promising debut, he would not return to the race.

Mads Pedersen made his debut in 2018. Just four days earlier, he had already finished fifth at Dwars door Vlaanderen, showing his progression.

He joined an early breakaway and spent the entire day on the attack, simply surviving the effort, a clear demonstration of his engine.

On the final Kwaremont, riding alongside Sep Vanmarcke Langeveld and Dylan van Baarle, he was caught by a solo move from Niki Terpstra.

Pedersen could not quite follow Terpstra, but still had enough left to hold off the chasers and secure second place. An exceptional performance after expending energy all day.

Wout van Aert also debuted in 2018, at the time still primarily focused on cyclocross. That spring, he had already shown his potential on the road with a third place at Strade Bianche.

However, the longer distance and accumulated fatigue proved decisive. He fought through the race and over the climbs, but lacked the legs for the sprint, finishing ninth.

In 2015, Tiesj Benoot made an immediate impact on debut, finishing fifth.

Earlier that season, he had already shown his strength with a sixth place at Dwars door Vlaanderen in his first professional year.

Despite the greater distance and difficulty of the Tour of Flanders, Benoot handled it with ease. He animated the finale with an attack in the closing kilometres, underlining the quality of his ride.

What does this mean for Remco Evenepoel?

The examples above show that riders with a punchy profile or strong climbing ability can immediately perform in the Tour of Flanders. In recent years, the race has increasingly favoured riders who can handle repeated steep efforts, which suits Evenepoel’s characteristics.

Distance is unlikely to be an issue. For many riders on this list, their debut was also one of their first Monument length races. That is not the case for Evenepoel, who has already won Liège-Bastogne-Liège twice, as well as the World Championships and the Olympic road race.

So the key question is not whether he can handle the race, but how competitive he can be on debut.