“If Remco Evenepoel were French, the Tour would look very different” — Jan Bakelants slams ‘tailor-made for Pogacar’ 2026 route

Former Tour de France stage winner Jan Bakelants has questioned whether the 2026 route revealed in Paris this week truly serves the interests of cycling as a spectacle — or whether it has once again been sculpted to suit the world’s dominant rider, Tadej Pogacar.

In his analysis for HLN, the Belgian expert expressed his belief that Remco Evenepoel faces another uphill battle next July, both figuratively and literally. “If Remco were French,” he quipped, “we’d probably have got a different parcours.”

For Bakelants, the 2026 edition presents too few opportunities for riders who excel against the clock — a profile that heavily penalises Evenepoel, now heading into his first full season with Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe. “The race organisers had a real chance to make things more balanced,” Bakelants argued. “Instead, they’ve gone all-in on climbing once again. Eight mountain stages, five summit finishes, barely 26 kilometres of time trialling — it’s tailor-made for Pogacar.”

While the Tour opens with a 19-kilometre team time trial in Barcelona, Bakelants sees it as a “small consolation” rather than a genuine advantage for Evenepoel. “In a solo time trial, Remco can take control and inflict damage,” he said. “But in a team event, someone like Jonas Vingegaard can rely on collective strength to limit the losses. That changes the dynamic entirely.”

Evenepoel’s participation in the Tour has yet to be officially confirmed by his new team, who are waiting to see how the Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a Espana routes compare. But for Bakelants, the choice should be obvious.

“Remco didn’t join Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe to focus on the Giro,” Bakelants notes. “He made that transfer to fight for yellow in the Tour de France. If he skips it now just because the route doesn’t suit him, that’s a missed opportunity. Every year he delays, the challenge only gets bigger.”

The Belgian believes that Evenepoel’s long-term Tour ambitions can only be realised by confronting adversity head-on — and by learning how to survive on courses designed for pure climbers.

Beyond the profile itself, Bakelants also took aim at what he described as a lack of creativity from the ASO organisers.

The 2026 route will once again finish with back-to-back Alpine blockbusters, including two separate finishes on Alpe d’Huez — one via the classic 21 hairpins and another over the lesser-used Col de Sarenne. “It feels repetitive,” he said. “Do they really only know one mountain? By the final week, the race risks losing tension and variety. We’ve seen that before — when the gaps are already established, those huge stages just drain what drama is left.”

He added that a few more medium-mountain days would have injected freshness and unpredictability. “Those are the stages where someone like Remco could make the difference. But with Pogacar’s team so strong, there won’t be many opportunities to go on the attack.”

Despite his criticism, Bakelants remains adamant that Evenepoel has the class to challenge Pogacar if conditions align.

“Remco is a top rider. Without Tadej Pogacar in the peloton, he’d be the one dominating races in that same way,” he said. “But Pogacar is there — and the way the Tour’s been designed, it doesn’t give the underdog much of a fighting chance.”

A longer, more traditional time trial, Bakelants argued, would have levelled the playing field. “It wouldn’t make Pogacar powerless, but it would certainly increase Remco’s chances. Unfortunately, the organisers didn’t choose that route — maybe they’d have done so if Remco were French.”