"He's back to his old self... Remco Evenepoel remains a killer" - Delight for Soudal - Quick-Step after leader's winning return to racing at Brabantse Pijl

For four months out through injury, there was a real sense of uncertainty ahead of Remco Evenepoel's return to racing on Friday afternoon at Brabantse Pijl. Against a top-quality field of rivals however, the Olympic champion looked immediately back to his very best, taking an emotional win - much to the delight of his Soudal - Quick-Step team.

“During the race, we got confirmation that he’s back to his old self – and that win made it all the more special,” Evenepoel's coach at Soudal - Quick-Step, Koen Pelgrim reflected happily in a post-race interview to Sporza afterwards. “He’s shown what a top-class talent he is, and how hard he’s willing to work when he sets his mind to it. We knew he was in decent shape and that he’d be in the mix, but there’s still a few more percentage points to gain. He’s been even better in the past.”

So good was Evenepoel in his first race of 2025, that he even comfortably outsprinted compatriot Wout van Aert - someone who has won multiple bunch sprints in Grand Tours - in a two-up fight for the line in Overijse. “Look at his sprint finishes when there’s a win on the line – he’s nearly always there," says Soudal - Quick-Step's Kevin Hulsmans, speaking to the VRT, explaining the tactics. "Sometimes you get beaten, but he’s by no means one of the slowest riders. It was a tough, attritional race too, and freshness plays a part. And Remco remains a killer.”

And so with the Amstel Gold Race and Liege-Bastogne-Liege coming up quickly, expectations for Evenepoel have suddenly skyrocketed. Both Pelgrim and Hulsmans however, are keen to keep their feet firmly on the ground.

“Everyone will now be thinking he’s going to win everything, but we need to give him time to continue developing. We also need to allow for the possibility of a bad day,” explains Hulsmans, with Pelgrim adding: “A 250-kilometre race is something else entirely. But I don’t think the distance will be the issue. He did struggle a bit during the first accelerations, but there wasn’t much fatigue in his legs.”