"Gruelling, long races - he can handle those": Tom Dumoulin backs Remco Evenepoel to shine on Tour of Flanders debut

Remco Evenepoel's participation in the Tour of Flanders caught almost everyone off guard when it was announced on Wednesday, despite the Belgian having known about it since winter. Even Tom Dumoulin, speaking to NOS, admitted he was genuinely surprised. But surprise quickly gave way to excitement, and the Dutchman has no doubt that Evenepoel belongs among the favourites.

Speaking to Dutch broadcaster NOS, Tom Dumoulin admitted he was surprised by the late reveal but expects great things from the Belgian phenomenon. "Evenepoel is one of the best classics riders. He does not win Liège-Bastogne-Liège, the Olympic road race and the World Championship for nothing," he said.

And while this is his first cobbled Monument at elite level, Dumoulin sees no reason why that should hold him back. "Gruelling, long races - he can handle those."

The strengths are obvious. On the flat, Dumoulin sees Evenepoel as almost impossible to follow. "On the flat he is unbeatable. Give him a gap and you will not get him back, because he is aerodynamic and can put out the power."

Being a three-time world time trial champion tends to help in that regard. And on the climbs, he is no passenger either. "Of the Classics guys, he is one of the best going up a mountain. He might not climb quite as fast as [Tadej] Pogacar, but going incredibly hard on the flat and digesting the climbs more than decently is a golden combo for the Tour of Flanders."

That said, Dumoulin was equally clear about where Evenepoel might struggle. The cobblestones and constant positioning battles of a Flemish classic are a different beast entirely from the races he knows best. "He is no bike-handling artist like Van der Poel. You lose energy in the Ronde with all the constant turning and twisting. That will cost him a little more energy each time than it costs Van der Poel and Pogacar," he explained.

As for how the established favourites will react to his presence, Dumoulin does not expect panic in either camp. "They will find it nice," he said simply. But whatever happens on Sunday, one thing is certain: Evenepoel's presence makes an already spectacular race even harder to look away from.