"He announced it on 1 April, so maybe it was a joke" - Tadej Pogacar's tells initial reaction to Remco Evenepoel's Flanders reveal
Cycling
Tadej Pogacar has landed on Belgian soil, ready to take on one of the season’s biggest challenges: the Tour of Flanders, this Sunday, fifth of April. Beforehand, he has discussed several topics, including the inclusion of Remco Evenepoel.
The Slovenian phenomenon arrives aiming for a third win at the “Ronde”, which would put him alongside race legends Achiel Buysse, Fiorenzo Magni, Eric Leman, Johan Museeuw, Tom Boonen, Fabian Cancellara and Mathieu van der Poel. He also weighed in on Remco Evenepoel’s presence at the race.
In an interview with Sporza’s Vive le Vélo he explained how he feels just days out: “I can’t wait to start on Sunday. I already felt the fans’ excitement at the airport. People were waiting for autographs and photos. Suddenly you feel you’re back in the country of the race.” The emotion and bond with the Belgian public seem to have recharged him, a reminder that he is at one of the sport’s most iconic appointments.
Recalling his first experiences at the Flemish Monument, Pogacar underlined the atmosphere’s intensity: “It was truly incredible how much atmosphere there was on the route and how many people go to all those climbs.” The passion of the spectators and the demands of the terrain spur him on, knowing every kilometre in Flanders requires focus, strength, and strategy. Those memories have also deepened his connection with fans and reinforced his status as one of his generation’s greats.
As for preparation, Pogacar sounded calm and assured: “I think and hope I’m ready. I’ve had good training and after Sanremo I took some time off. My crash there? It was a heavy one, but I didn’t have deep wounds. So they didn’t affect me for long.” He makes it clear the recovery was swift and his condition will allow him to handle Flanders’ exacting roads. His discipline and control in preparation reflect experience and a winning mindset.
Beyond himself, Pogacar keeps an eye on his team and those around him. Speaking about his loyal lieutenant Florian Vermeersch, who was by his side during the show, he said: “They were very interesting races. Florian did great. I always made sure to get back from training early enough to watch, or I rewound the race to see it later.” Their bond is evident, with jokes that strengthen the relationship: “What did I message him? ‘Why don’t you win?’, I told my teammate, joking.”
Pogacar adds that Vermeersch always replies with positivity: “No, he always congratulates me and sends positive comments. For now he’s a great teammate.” That kind of camaraderie is crucial in long, tactically complex races, where mutual support can be decisive.
Remco Evenepoel will be at the Tour of Flanders 2026
Remco Evenepoel’s surprise
On the competition, Pogacar admits that riders like Remco Evenepoel add extra motivation and jeopardy: “I was a bit surprised by Evenepoel’s participation, but at the same time not. I’d heard rumours a while ago. He announced it on 1 April, so maybe it was a joke. No, it’s good to see him on the start line on Sunday.” Rivalry with other big names sharpens his desire to shine and underscores that every win in Flanders carries special weight.
Pogacar closes by reflecting on motivation and future goals: “For now I’m enjoying the moment. And there are still objectives I want to achieve. But I know motivation will decline in the coming years. So somehow we’ll have to find a way to stay motivated.” For now, his enthusiasm is intact, and his arrival in Belgium sets the stage for a Sunday of high drama and a showcase of talent across Flanders’ cobbles and climbs.
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Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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- Right on. The more the merrier.Occam13-11-2026
- Remember, Del Toro struggled in this Tour. He is great, no doubt about that, but comparing him to a four time gt winner is absurd at this point. He has the potential. We'll have to see how he develops.awp13-11-2026
- what did Jonas gift and to whom? just curious, haven’t heard about this.mij13-11-2026
- You don't gift grand tours as it has come to light that Jonas has come to regret doing such.
Front24213-11-2026 - Exactly you said it urslf - he outclimbed del toro by 19 sec. 19SEC and you say hes alot better than del toro still lol? And can also do the same where del toro did that to jonas even and del toro dauphine numbers better than jonas all year so why this hard whats the issue its super easy stuff - del toro wasnt that before. Then factor in both their trajectory the last years and the answer is self explonatory like i said. Nothing against jonas like many do but the typing is no the wall and so stupidly easy as its so self explanatory now. Have a good daymiguel13-11-2026
- Dirty ex doperFront24213-11-2026
- As far as points go they need to take a page or ten out of the Astana playbook!Lozza13-11-2026
- Ah, seems he’s been busy elsewhere! 😆Lozza13-11-2026
- Where is he when you need him!? Wake up man! You’re missing an opportunity!Lozza13-11-2026
- A very true statement made by Johan Bruyneel: "We don’t know for sure about Jonas, because he dropped out of the Tour de France, but he would never have come close to Pogacar. Maybe he would have finished second. He won the Giro in dominant fashion and the Vuelta the year before, but Visma wants to win the Tour." That's exactly what I've been saying the last six months. If Pogi races with Jonas, the most he can be is second... UNLESS... Pogi crashes out or makes a BIG mistake, which is not likely to happen. Either Bruyneel thinks the way I do or he reads my posts. Ad acta!!!PogiSloFans13-11-2026
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