Four races left, four historic wins in sight - How Remco Evenepoel’s extended end-of-2026 race plan could add a remarkable chapter to cycling history
Cycling
Remco Evenepoel has four races left in 2026 and each one offers the chance to add something significant to an already extraordinary palmares.
The Belgian’s decision to extend his season beyond Il Lombardia and race the Chrono des Nations on October 18 has created a remarkable final sequence: the World Championships road race in Montreal, the European Championships road race in Slovenia, the season’s final Monument and one last major time trial test in Les Herbiers.
Evenepoel already has a fourth consecutive world time trial title secured. Over the next three weeks he can still chase a second road rainbow jersey, a first elite European road title, a maiden Il Lombardia victory and a first elite Chrono des Nations win before his debut season with Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe finally ends.
| Race | Date |
| World Championships road race | September 27 |
| European Championships road race | October 4 |
| Il Lombardia | October 10 |
| Chrono des Nations | October 18 |
Montreal: the chance to complete a historic Worlds double
Evenepoel’s 57-second victory over Filippo Ganna in the elite men’s time trial delivered a fourth consecutive world title against the clock, making him the first rider to achieve that sequence.
Sunday now offers the chance to reclaim the road rainbow jersey he first won in Wollongong in 2022. Evenepoel came close in Kigali last year, finishing second behind Tadej Pogacar, and arrives at the road race this time with the Slovenian absent after his Vuelta a Espana crash.
A victory would also complete the individual time trial and road race double at the same elite men’s World Championships, something not previously achieved. “When you want to achieve a double, the first condition is obviously to win the first of the two races,” Evenepoel said after the time trial. “That’s done.”
Belgium will also have Wout van Aert as a second leader, while Isaac Del Toro, Paul Seixas, Mathieu van der Poel, Tom Pidcock and Primoz Roglic headline a deep list of rivals over 273.7 kilometres around Montreal.
Remco Evenepoel won his 4th world time trial title in a row in Montreal
Slovenia: the championship jersey still missing
Seven days after the Montreal road race, Evenepoel heads to Slovenia for the European Championships. He finished second in the elite road race as a 21-year-old in 2021 and returned to the same step of the podium last year, beaten by Pogacar in France. The 2026 edition takes place on October 4.
Evenepoel already owns Olympic road and time trial gold, a road world title and four world time trial championships. The elite European road jersey is still missing from that collection.
His most recent European Championships appearance produced one title and one near miss: he won the time trial in 2025 before finishing second in the road race four days later. This year, his programme only includes the road race.
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Lombardia: another Monument still within reach
Six days later comes Il Lombardia, a race inseparable from one of the darkest moments of Evenepoel’s career. His 2020 debut ended with the horrific crash that sent him over a bridge on the descent of the Muro di Sormano and left him with a fractured pelvis. He finished ninth in 2023 before taking second in both 2024 and 2025, each time behind Pogacar.
Evenepoel has already won Liege-Bastogne-Liege twice, while his Tour of Flanders debut this spring ended with third place. The 2026 edition will be the 120th running of the Race of the Falling Leaves and the fifth Monument of the season.
Pogacar has won the last five editions, while Evenepoel has twice been the closest rider behind him.
One last time trial in Les Herbiers
Lombardia had been expected to close Evenepoel’s season. Instead, he will travel to Les Herbiers eight days later for the Chrono des Nations, returning to a race he first contested as a junior in 2018.
That appearance ended with victory by more than a minute. At elite level, he finished fifth in 2021 and second to Joshua Tarling by 13 seconds in 2023. “Together with Specialized we have developed a new bike, so we want to keep testing it,” Evenepoel said. “There are still some areas of the bike that can be improved and that is the main reason why I will start the Chrono des Nations.”
By the time he reaches Les Herbiers, Evenepoel will have raced through the Mallorca Challenge, spring Classics, Tour de France, San Sebastian, the Canadian WorldTour races, two championship blocks and Lombardia.
Eight days after the Race of the Falling Leaves, his first season with Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe will finally end back on the TT bike.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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