Ralph Denk: 'Evenepoel can have the same impact on cycling as Verstappen on Formula 1'

Speaking to Het Nieuwsblad, Denk was asked whether Evenepoel can ever win the Tour de France in an era dominated by Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard. He refused the idea that the Belgian is destined to fall short.

“Can he beat them one on one? Honestly, I do not know. I am not a sports scientist,” Denk said. “You should ask other people in the team. What I do know is that those people are absolutely convinced they can make Remco even better.”

Denk pointed to a simple argument: time is on Evenepoel’s side. “Pogačar and Vingegaard are both older than him. Look at history. Armstrong, Indurain, Merckx, even for the biggest superstars, one day it is over. Suddenly the tank is empty. Then Remco has to be ready.”

The move itself followed years of interest from the German squad. Asked whether he ever felt disappointed when Evenepoel turned down earlier approaches, Denk was calm. “No. Sometimes the situation is what it is,” he said, adding that he would not claim Evenepoel lost time at Soudal Quick Step. “If you look at his palmares, the team deserves full credit for that.”

Denk also brushed aside Patrick Lefevere’s long running criticism of the pursuit, framing it as part of the sport’s theatre. “It does not hurt to have some discussion between team bosses from time to time,” he said. “It is good for the sport. Look at Formula 1. A bit of entertainment is allowed.”

Evenepoel is set to start his season in Mallorca this week, and Denk stressed the signing is about more than adding another leader. He returned to the example of Peter Sagan, who helped transform the team’s stature. “He won a lot for us too. But Peter was mainly the face of the team. He gave our team credibility.”

That kind of presence, Denk argued, can lift everyone around it. “In his slipstream a lot of guys could develop,” he said, naming riders who grew into big results during Sagan’s era. “Peter was our front guy. Nobody asked about the others. But the others started winning in his shadow. That is why Peter was such a smart investment back then. That is what I hope with Remco too.”

Finally, Denk addressed the old line about finding the “Max Verstappen of cycling," a phrase that has followed the Red Bull project. He noted the difference in origin, since Verstappen came through Red Bull’s own system. “Remco is with us now, but he was not developed by us,” he said, suggesting that story fits younger riders in their pipeline more naturally.

Still, on impact, he did not hesitate. “But can Remco have the same impact on cycling as Verstappen has had on Formula 1? I think so,” Denk said, before adding his short list of current icons. “There are not that many iconic riders right now. I count three: Mathieu van der Poel, Tadej Pogačar and Remco.”