"He’s so fixated" - Patrick Lefevere disagrees with Remco Evenepoel's decision to skip classics and favour Grand Tours

Patrick Lefevere has for many years been a strong defender of Remco Evenepoel, having brought him up from the junior ranks directly to Soudal - Quick-Step and seeing the constant pressure that the Olympic Champion has had to endure. However currently, Lefevere believes Evenepoel is not making the right decisions when it comes to his priorities and calendar on the road.

“Perhaps it will turn out later that he is actually a one-day racer. Personally, I think Remco should have been in Milano-Sanremo and should also have ridden the Tour of Flanders or the E3," Lefevere said in an interview with Het Laatste Nieuws.

The Belgian is a current Olympic Champion, World Champion, monument winner and much more... His performances last fall against Tadej Pogacar at the Worlds, Europeans and Il Lombardia in consecutive weekends firmly fixated him as the second best in the mountainous one-day races.

Strong on the short climbs, with a strong sprint, and a capacity to ride on the flat like almost no other in the peloton, it makes sense. In the Grand Tours he has not always gotten the formula right, although injuries and illnesses have often affected him throughout his career.

Lefevere is of the opinion that Evenepoel is more of a classics specialist than stage-racer. “I’ve told him that once or twice already, but yeah... He’s so fixated — and you have to be if you want to perform. He won the Vuelta, yes. But there are two others riding around there (he refers to Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard, ed.)

The Belgian is facing the leader of Team Visma | Lease a Bike this week at the Volta a Catalunya and Lefevere does not believe that the mission will be easy. "I saw Jonas Vingegaard in action at Paris-Nice. I wish him good luck.”

Evenepoel is certainly a rider capable of winning Grand Tours, as shown at the 2022 Vuelta, but also the 2024 Tour de France where he joined his two rivals on the podium with a flawless exhibition. And the decision to go all-in towards the Grand Boucle again could've waited, according to Lefevere.

“He has time, you know. He’s 26 now. If he gives himself another two years to win the Tour. I think if everyone stays healthy, he and Vingegaard are going to be a very tough challenge".

And whilst Red Bull has a very strong collective, the now-retired Belgian manager does not see that as an advantage, but internal competition against his personal ambitions. "And he has competition within his own ranks too. He didn't have that before.”