'If I win Il Lombardia, it will be my best season yet' - Evenepoel keeps eyes on prize in Italy

His first season at Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe has seen Evenepoel reinforce his Grand Tour credentials by placing second at the Tour de France, and it also saw him dive confidently into the cobbled Classics, taking a fine third at his debut Tour of Flanders. 

There were setbacks, too, including some muted climbing displays in the spring and disappointing outings at Liège-Bastogne-Liège and the World Championships road race. But Evenepoel’s autumn also included a fourth straight world time trial title and victory in the European Championships road race. 

In Evenepoel’s view, victory at Il Lombardia would make this the best season of his career, outstripping even his Vuelta a España-Worlds double of 2022 or his Olympic Games double of 2024. 

“I feel pretty good about my first season with Red Bull,” Evenepoel told media including Domestique in a press conference in Orio al Serio on Friday afternoon.

“The Classics campaign was quite good, but not necessarily at the level I wanted to reach. My form wasn’t at its best there, despite the good results. But afterwards, I had a strong summer, so there is a positive balance. This is definitely one of my better seasons, and if I win on Saturday, this will be my best season yet, especially after my strong Tour. It would be a nice way to finish.”

Evenepoel had hoped to show off his new European champion’s jersey to the small group of reporters that gathered at the NH airport hotel on Friday, but a cancelled flight meant that its arrival in Italy was delayed. Red Bull hoped to have the Belgian in his new colours in time for the team presentation later in the afternoon.

“There were a lot of discussions with the UCI about it,” Evenepoel said of the design, which is expected to incorporate a nod to his world and Olympic titles. 

Evenepoel confessed to doubts after his off-key showing at the Montreal Worlds, but he arrives in Italy with his confidence restored after he outsprinted Giulio Ciccone to the Euopean title in Slovenia last weekend.

After placing second to a rampant Tadej Pogačar in 2024 and 2025, Evenepoel is the logical favourite for Il Lombardia, even if Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM) and Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) are among an array of viable contenders for the vacated crown.

Pogačar has won the past five editions of Il Lombardia, and his absence will inevitably change the tenor of this year’s race, even if Evenepoel does not envisage quite the same anarchy that ensued at the Montreal Worlds.

“No, I think tomorrow will be different,” Evenepoel said. “I think the Montreal circuit is a very special race even without being a World Championships, and then the way the race developed was pretty crazy. 

“I think the French went quite crazy from the first lap on, so before we went into the true final, everybody was already cooked. I think tomorrow will be completely different. The only thing is that some teams will think that they have an opportunity to make the race harder from a certain point.

“But I think in general, the way of racing tomorrow will not be completely different than how in other years. The only thing now is that we are racing for first place and not for second. I think that will be the biggest difference tomorrow…”

Evenepoel was racing for first place in Como on his Il Lombardia debut in 2020 when he suffered a fractured pelvis in a horrific crash on the descent of the Colma di Sormano. The descent does not feature on this year’s route, but Evenepoel encountered some familiar terrain during his recon when he rode past the hospital where he was treated.

“The crash isn’t my head anymore, that’s clear,” Evenepoel said. “But a win here would finish that story totally.”

Whatever the result, Evenepoel’s story for 2026 won’t end in Como on Saturday afternoon. After riding the Chrono des Nations, he will travel to Specialized headquarters in California for wind tunnel testing on his new time trial bike. Only then will Evenepoel take a two-week break, but the new year seems to come around quicker and quicker.

“Obviously in my two weeks off, I can really switch off completely and if anyone from the team is texting me or calling me, I will not answer,” Evenepoel smiled. “I think they know this, because it’s pretty deserved to have two or three weeks without anything. But once it starts again, I always commit completely to whatever is being said to me – and then then we go again for the usual stuff.”