'He still has ten years' - Remco Evenepoel held back from Flanders despite growing ambition

The topic resurfaced after the Volta a Catalunya, where Remco Evenepoel showed flashes of form but saw his race disrupted by a crash on stage three, when he hit a hole, lost his handlebar and went down while on the move with Jonas Vingegaard. It left unanswered questions about how he would have compared to the Dane in full condition.

Within the team, there is little doubt that the incident had a significant impact. “Believe me, it definitely affected him,” said sports director Klaas Lodewyck to Het Laatste Nieuws. “He downplayed it, but it cost him.”

The physical toll was still visible days later. CEO Ralph Denk pointed to the condition Evenepoel was in at the start of the final stage. “His back was still open. A lot of skin was gone. That kind of thing takes energy.”

Eventually Evenepoel finished fifth in the general classification, 2:13 behind Vingegaard.

Lodewyck believes that, without the crash, Evenepoel would have been able to stay with Vingegaard in the decisive moments. “Based on the numbers from his altitude camp, it would have been possible,” he said.

Denk took a more reserved view. “Klaas is closer to him than I am, but I find that quite speculative. In the end, only what happens on the road counts.”

That contrast in perspective highlights a broader theme around Evenepoel’s career. His development has often been interrupted by setbacks, something that continues to influence how his performances are judged. “He has had bad luck for several years now,” Lodewyck said. “That leads to fluctuations in his results in Grand Tours.”

The bigger picture, however, remains unchanged. The Tour de France is the central objective, and Evenepoel’s move last winter was aimed at closing the gap to riders like Tadej Pogačar and Vingegaard. “Whether he can already compete with them this year, we will see,” Denk said. “But we are on track.”

At the same time, Evenepoel’s interest in one day racing continues to grow. He has already collected major wins, but Monuments such as the Tour of Flanders and Milan-Sanremo remain on his radar.

For now, that ambition is being postponed. “I know people would like to see me there,” Evenepoel said to Het Laatste Nieuws. “But it’s not for this year. My programme stays the same.”

Instead, he will briefly return to Belgium before heading back to Spain to prepare for the Ardennes races, where he sees more immediate opportunities.

The team’s position is clear. “Of course everyone in Belgium wants him at the start of that race,” Denk said. “So do I, but at the right time. Remco is still only 26, he has ten years ahead of him.”