Remco Evenepoel insists he wouldn’t be lining up at the Tour of Flanders if he didn’t believe he could win, brushing off doubts ahead of his long-awaited debut on the cobbles.
Speaking before Sunday’s race, the Belgian said he’s put last week’s crash at the Volta a Catalunya behind him. The Red Bull–Bora–Hansgrohe rider is heading into the Monument with lots of confidence. “I wouldn’t start if I didn’t feel I could win,” he said to Wielerflits, adding that the anticipation, from waking up to the roar of the crowds, will fuel him through the day.
On his rivals
Still, he’s realistic about the challenge. Evenepoel acknowledged that riders like Mathieu van der Poel, Tadej Pogačar and Wout van Aert have already proven themselves on this terrain. While he believes his raw ability is close, he admitted his lack of race experience on the Flemish climbs and cobbles puts him a step behind, for now. But he is Belgian… it’s basically in his DNA. He’s ridden the bergs plenty, just not on race day at Flanders.
The biggest talking point, though, has been the secrecy around his participation. Evenepoel confirmed the delayed announcement was intentional, tied partly to timing and partly to uncertainty over his condition. “We waited to see how things went at the Volta a Catalunya,” he said.
There was also a wee hint of mischief from the double Olympic champ. Referring to the April 1 announcement, he admitted the team leaned into the moment. “I enjoyed how we played it,” he said, adding he had stepped away from social media during the buildup. “I could just relax and watch how it unfolded.”
According to WielerFlits, Evenepoel suggested this kind of surprise won’t happen again, promising more transparency about his schedule in future seasons.
You can catch the Tour of Flanders on Flobikes.com. But you might wanna make a big pot of coffee. The men’s race is on at (puts on reading glasses to make sure) 3:55 a.m. EDT and the women’s at 9:15 a.m. EDT. And as always, Canadian Cycling Magazine will have reports on both races. There are several Canadians in the women’s and men’s, too!
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