"He's always first to reply in team's WhatsApp groups": Remco Evenepoel quickly incorporates into his new team

Remco Evenepoel’s arrival at Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe has stirred major interest, both for his performances and for how he is settling into the new team. After his first races with the German outfit, sports director Sven Vanthourenhout revealed in Het Laatste Nieuws what daily life with the Belgian has been like since he joined.

Evenepoel opened the season with strong results at several tune-up races in Spain, where he took multiple wins. He later suffered a minor setback at the UAE Tour, but his start left a positive impression within the team regardless.

Before he arrived, there were questions about how the Belgian champion would fit into the structure. Vanthourenhout explained that, inside the team, some wondered what attitude the rider would bring. "When Remco signed, many asked: who is he really? How will he behave here? Like an island within the team? Or will he integrate smoothly?"

However, according to the Belgian coach, those doubts faded quickly once the rider began sharing day-to-day life with the rest of the organisation. "The reality is that Remco opened up immediately, in his own way. Showing a genuine interest in a great many things," Vanthourenhout noted.

The sports director also underlined that Evenepoel is actively involved in team life, even in the small day-to-day details: "In the team’s WhatsApp groups, he’s always one of the first to send a message or reply."

That approach, according to Vanthourenhout, has meant the Belgian quickly earned the respect and affection of everyone within the Germany-based structure. "Even the ‘Rookies’ (U23) and juniors get his congratulations when they win. And he often messages the soigneurs, mechanics, physiotherapists, team directors… He has already won many people over with that."

Meanwhile, Evenepoel’s main sporting target with his new team is clearly set: the Tour de France. For that reason, his spring calendar does not include any of the more "experimental" races such as Milano-Sanremo, Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, where Evenepoel's debut has been a point of speculation this past winter. Instead, the team fully prioritises his build-up for the French Grand Tour.

Even so, Vanthourenhout acknowledges that a rider with his characteristics could also be highly competitive in those races. "We have a broad and strong group. But naturally, someone of the calibre of Van der Poel, Pogacar, Pedersen or Seixas would suit us very well. That brings us straight to Remco."

Although he considers that Evenepoel might shine even more in the Classics than in Grand Tours, the coach remains confident he can one day win the Tour. "If you ask me today whether he can also win the Tour: yes. I think we have to keep believing in it. Because one day, at the right moment, we might see the best version of Remco, something that doesn’t happen with his main rivals," he concluded.

Thus, Evenepoel's nearest appointment is the Volta a Catalunya. The 2026 edition features three challenging mountain stages, and therefore a golden opportunity for the Olympic champion to get back on his critics after UAE Tour.