Patrick Lefevere on Remco Evenepoel: "If he decided to race the Tour of Flanders he would absolutely be capable of winning it"

Tadej Pogacar has won the Tour of Flanders two years ago and will be a prime contender to do so once again this spring. According to Patrick Lefevere, his Soudal - Quick-Step leaders Remco Evenepoel could also be achieving such a result if he put his full focus on it.

"I hope we can do well in the Flanders classics. With phenomena like Van der Poel, Van Aert and Pogacar it is not easy at all," Lefevere said in words to RTBF. "A few years ago we could rely on our collective strength, but today if someone like Van der Poel attacks with 80 kilometers to go, all our tactics immediately become obsolete".

Less and less the big classics are about tactics, as we entered an era of riders who dominate even at the highest level. Quick-Step did not manage to step up when other top teams have in this specific field, and are now one of many who enter the classics trying to surprise. "This does not mean that you have to give up, you always have to fight and try to anticipate your opponents".

Anticipating itself becomes very hard, as Lefevere mentions, but in the smaller races and some chaotic ones such as Paris-Roubaix there very much is the space for that. However in those that involve climbing, the new generation of climbers who can ride well in all terrains could also be involved in the fight for the Flanders win. Lefevere believes Evenepoel himself could actually do it.

"We miss Remco, I am convinced that if he decided to race the Tour of Flanders he would absolutely be capable of winning it. But now his big goals are the Grand Tours," the former team boss argues. "Unfortunately he has this injury, and I am sure that he is suffering a lot watching his opponents race and win while he is forced to watch them on television. Luckily the Tour is still far away, and if there is one thing I have learned it is that haste and panic are bad advisors".

The team is mostly looking at Paul Magnier to perform this spring and obtain some strong results. The French rode a strong Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and finished in third place, and could potentially repeat this in other big events. "Paul is very young, but I hope that Yves Lampaert will also be able to find his level again. As for Paul, we have followed him since he was a junior. We have seen progress despite him having had injuries and some ailments. He is an enormous talent".

"It is important not to force things, however: it is not him at 20 who has to save the team If I had to make a comparison, I see him similar to riders like Tom Boonen and Johan Museeuw. I know that it is a significant burden for a young man like him, but I see the same characteristics," he concluded.