Ralph Denk opens door for Remco Evenepoel's Paris-Roubaix debut in 2027

Speaking to Eurosport, Denk described the prospect of Evenepoel racing Paris-Roubaix as an attractive one, expressing confidence in the Belgian's ability to perform on the famous cobbles.

"I believe Remco could do well there," Denk told Eurosport. "But it has to come from him, otherwise it won't work."

"If he wants to try it and prepare specifically for it, which he has never done before, we're open to it. We wouldn't be afraid of him getting injured there or putting other objectives at risk."

The comments represent another encouraging sign for a potential Roubaix debut, with Evenepoel himself having already expressed an interest in racing the Monument earlier this season.

Evenepoel first opened the door to a potential Paris-Roubaix appearance following his impressive debut at the Tour of Flanders in April.

The Belgian finished third behind Tadej Pogačar and Mathieu van der Poel, proving he could compete with the very best on the cobbles.

"It's not something that has been decided," Evenepoel told Sporza at the time. "There hasn't been a real discussion yet, but it's not impossible either."

He also revealed that Van der Poel had brought up the possibility during their conversations. "Mathieu brought it up to me as well," Evenepoel said.

Although a debut in the 2026 edition was ultimately ruled out, Evenepoel revisited the possibility ahead of the Amstel Gold Race, suggesting that a reconnaissance of the course could be considered ahead of 2027.

"I don't know yet. I think that will be discussed and, possibly, some kind of exploration or something like that will be planned," he said.

With Denk now publicly backing the idea, the prospect of seeing Evenepoel tackle the cobbles of northern France has gained further momentum.

Any potential Paris-Roubaix appearance would have to fit into a revised racing programme, with Evenepoel already making it clear that he intends to approach the 2027 season differently.

"One thing is certain: I won't start racing as early as I did this year," Evenepoel said earlier this week in an interview with Het Laatste Nieuws.

"As a newcomer to the team, that was to be expected. I wanted to prove myself, integrate into the team as well as possible, and win as quickly as possible. Next year will be different."

The Belgian acknowledged that his eagerness to make an immediate impact at Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe had influenced his racing schedule during his debut campaign.

Evenepoel also stressed the importance of preparing more specifically for his major objectives rather than simply accumulating race days.

"We've also realised and learned that I need very thorough preparation periods for my major goals," he said. "So we're going to plan those even more specifically."

Evenepoel's first season at Red Bull included a debut at the Tour of Flanders, where he placed third after a battling display.

"I felt the greatest pain in my legs and in my heart when I realised in the finale of the Tour of Flanders that I could no longer close the five-second gap to Tadej Pogačar and Mathieu van der Poel," he said.

That experience may only have strengthened Evenepoel's appetite for the cobbled Classics. Whether Paris-Roubaix will feature on his programme in 2027 remains to be seen.