"It might become impossible to catch him" - Tadej Pogacar warns of Remco Evenepoel danger for Tour of Flanders
Cycling
Tadej Pogacar is going to be the mean to beat at the Tour of Flanders following his exhibition of 12 months ago and the form he's been carrying this spring. However, with Remco Evenepoel added into the mix, the World Champion has another threat to worry about on Sunday.
In this afternoon's press conference, some of the main favourites talked openly about their feelings ahead of the race. In Pogacar's case, his weight, something that was quickly asked. "My weight? 66 kilograms this morning," as reported by Sporza.
However like Mathieu van der Poel, Pogacar also claims that Evenepoel's presence might even be helpful to him, because the race may break apart earlier. "From my point of view, it is good to have a rider like Remco on board. He always wants to attack from far out and can ride a great race on Sunday.
"When I watch races on television, I love seeing Remco attack from afar. But when you're riding along yourself and just have a bad moment... Then I like it less. Remco can become an extra stress factor in the race."
Remco Evenepoel can't build a lead, Pogacar warns
The threat of the Evenepoel attack is real. On the climbs only Mathieu van der Poel, on the short ones, might be able to put the Slovenian under pressure. However on the flat roads, the time trial world champion's ability to stay aerodynamic and conduct a solo effort well is threatening to his rivals.
Hence, he attacks usually on flat or ondulating roads, which opens up pandora's box for his rivals who have to close down his moves regardless of the terrain, if they want to win.
"With Remco, you never know. He can attack in the most random places. That means you always have to be ready," Pogacar says, knowing this will add to the tension and effort during the day, under regular conditions. "If you let him lead with a few seconds' advantage, it might become impossible to catch him."
However, he also has to keep an eye on his chasers, who may be able to put on a stronger pursuit, taking into consideration the trend of recent races.
"Teams now seem to realize that they can still organize themselves 60 kilometers from the finish. And that it is better to handle it that way than to bombard each other with attacks. You saw that in Middelkerke - Wevelgem and Dwars door Vlaanderen."
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Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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