“I changed teams to be closer to Pogacar and Vingegaard” – Remco Evenepoel explains Red Bull move after mixed UAE Tour

Remco Evenepoel has made his motivation clear. His switch to Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe for 2026 was not about comfort, nor novelty. It was about closing the gap at the very top.

“I changed teams to be closer to Pogacar and Vingegaard,” he told AS during the UAE Tour, outlining the thinking behind the biggest move of his career.

After beginning the season in dominant fashion in Spain, Evenepoel’s first serious test in the Middle East brought both encouragement and frustration.

The ambition, however, remains unchanged.

Evenepoel could hardly have asked for a better opening block. Three consecutive victories at the Challenge Mallorca were followed by overall victory at the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, where he also won two stages, including the individual time trial.

By mid-February, he had already collected six individual wins.

“Yes, of course, I’m happy in the team, it has been a very good start. A total of six victories and I’m happy about that,” he said. “In general, I think it’s a new feeling with the teammates and the staff members. For the moment, I’m happy, and we have to maintain good progression together.”

The early signs suggested that the move away from Soudal Quick-Step had not disrupted his trajectory. If anything, it appeared to have sharpened it.

The UAE Tour, however, provided a sterner examination. Evenepoel won the stage 2 time trial on Hudayriyat Island but struggled to match the pure climbers later in the week, ultimately finishing 10th overall.

He did not attempt to dress it up. “No, of course. I think I came back here with the intention of winning the race. In that sense, I think I’m a bit disappointed.”

“Happy with my performance in the time trial, but of course, the climbs were not great for me throughout the week," he assesses. "Now it’s time to take a small break and then do good preparation for the next races.”

The disappointment was measured rather than dramatic. A stage win and valuable race intensity still provided building blocks, but the mountains remain the area where improvement is required if he is to challenge cycling’s dominant force.

His next major test comes at the Volta a Catalunya, where he is set to line up against Jonas Vingegaard. It will be the first opportunity in 2026 to measure himself directly against one of the two riders he explicitly referenced when explaining his transfer.

“I’ll try, of course. That’s why I changed teams. I’ve already had good opportunities,” he says. “I think this week is difficult to draw conclusions from, so now we have to maintain progression, go step by step and make sure we have a better level in Catalunya. I’ll try with everything, as always.”

The message is consistent: incremental progression, not overreaction.

Asked about broader ambitions, Evenepoel did not rule anything out long-term. A tilt at the cobbled Monuments remains an idea for the future. “One day yes, but not this year,” he said with a laugh.

On Milan-San Remo, he was more direct: “No.”

The 2026 programme makes the hierarchy obvious. The Ardennes Classics and the Tour de France stand at the centre of the season.

The early wins in Spain showed the engine is running smoothly. The UAE Tour highlighted where the next step must come. And Catalunya will offer the first serious indication of whether Red Bull’s project is bringing him closer to the two names that defined his decision.

Pogacar. Vingegaard. That is the bar.