Red Bull reveals Flanders line-up around Evenepoel debut

Evenepoel headlines the seven rider squad that also includes Jarrad Drizners, Laurence Pithie, Jan Tratnik, Mick van Dijke, Tim van Dijke and Gianni Vermeersch.

The Belgian’s inclusion marks a significant shift from earlier plans. During the team’s winter media day, Evenepoel had indicated he would skip Flanders in order to ease into his first season with the German outfit and focus on a traditional build up toward the Tour de France.

However, the narrative changed earlier this week when the team confirmed his participation via social media, teasing the announcement with the message: “Flanders, are you ready?”

Team CEO Ralph Denk said the move had been in the works for some time. “The connection between Remco and the Tour of Flanders is deep and emotional. A plan like this does not come together overnight,” he said. “We deliberately kept it under the radar to create a special moment for the fans.”

Evenepoel lines up after his recent outing at the Volta a Catalunya, where he fought back from a late crash to finish fifth overall.

His presence adds another name to a field already featuring Tadej Pogačar and Mathieu van der Poel. Whether he can play a decisive role on this terrain remains to be seen, but his debut alone gives the race an extra storyline heading into Sunday.