Evenepoel and the rumbling Tour of Flanders rumours – 'I'd be surprised if he never rode it'

Remco Evenepoel set Belgian hearts aflutter when he was spotted training on the Paterberg in late December, sparking speculation that he might be about to make his Tour of Flanders debut in 2026 after all.

The Olympic champion had publicly teased the idea during the winter, but the Ronde pointedly did not feature when he announced his race schedule at the Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe media day last month. 

In an interview with Sporza, Red Bull sports director Sven Vanthourenhout has reiterated the party line that Evenepoel will not ride the Tour of Flanders this season. He also insisted that the sighting on the Paterberg was mere happenstance, with Evenepoel simply on hand to keep new teammate Gianni Vermeersch company.

“We were working with Gianni Vermeersch in the Flemish Ardennes to test equipment. For us as a team, this is also a reconnaissance,” Vanthourenhout told Sporza.

“Gianni brings a certain dynamism to the team. He also clicks with Remco and they’ve sought each other out. There wasn’t much more to it than that.”

Evenepoel has never raced the Tour of Flanders, and he expressed a certain aversion to competing on the cobbles as a neo-professional. That stance appears to have softened in the years since, and Evenepoel will surely have been encouraged by how Tadej Pogacar has taken on and beaten the cobbled Classics specialists in recent years.

As things stand, however, Evenepoel will ride just two one-day races this Spring, Amstel Gold Race and Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

“His programme is known, but I’m not ruling anything out for the future,” Vanthourenhout said. “I’m not talking about 2026, but I would be surprised if he never rode the Tour of Flanders in his career.”

Evenepoel will make his Red Bull debut in the team time trial at Challenge Mallorca on January 29 before riding the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana in February. Het Laatste Nieuws has reported that he might add the UAE Tour to his programme, but that has not been confirmed by Red Bull.

In March, Evenepoel will line out at the Volta a Catalunya before he tackles Amstel Gold Race and Liège-Bastogne-Liège. In June, he will ride the Tour Auvergne - Rhône-Alpes as preparation for the Tour de France, where he will share Red Bull leadership with Florian Lipowitz.

“I want to have a normal season,” Evenepoel said at the Red Bull media day when explaining his decision not to ride the Tour of Flanders or the Giro d’Italia. “After last year, we want a season that is easy-going without too many crazy things.”