Remco Evenepoel changes plans and may target 2026 Tour of Flanders

The narrative around Remco Evenepoel has taken an unexpected turn. After publicly ruling out riding the Tour of Flanders 2026, the chance of seeing him on the start line has grown within days. According to Wielerflits, the Belgian will join his Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe teammates on Thursday to recon the final sector.

The final call will depend on feel. If the fatigue accumulated after the Volta a Catalunya has cleared and the first contact with the route is positive, the German team will consider adding him to the final roster. While not an absolute guarantee, this kind of pre-Monument recon is usually a clear sign of intent.

For months, the message had been firm. Speculation about a Flanders appearance surfaced in winter, but Evenepoel himself shut the door. On the team’s media day, he was blunt: after two seasons marked by crashes, his priority was to regain normality and avoid unnecessary risks.

The rider also stressed his roadmap, focused on other targets. “I think I can win more there than in Flanders,” he told Het Laatste Nieuws, referring to the Ardennes classics, which remain his early-season priority.

Despite that stance, events have moved on. The team plans to recon the course with a group of seven riders, including the Olympic champion. It is not definitive, but it significantly raises the odds of seeing him race on Sunday.

It would not be the first time Evenepoel has tested the race’s key sectors. Last winter he was already spotted training on the Oude Kwaremont and the Paterberg alongside Gianni Vermeersch. “It was just a training session. Remco lives near Geraardsbergen and we went to meet up,” his teammate explained at the time.

That recon was no improvisation: both riders had support from directors Sven Vanthourenhout and Klaas Lodewyck, even repeating the climbs several times.

Until recently, the internal view looked clear. Zak Dempster had ruled out his presence in Flanders on sporting grounds.

“Of course, as a Belgian, he has always wanted to ride the Tour of Flanders. Whether or not he’s a cobbles specialist, it’s a special race. But the main reason Evenepoel joined this team is because he wants to race Tadej Pogacar at the Tour de France and try to beat him. It’s our job now to build the best plan, one we all believe can make that happen. We don’t think riding the Tour of Flanders contributes to that at this moment.”

With this new context, everything hinges on the coming days. Thursday’s recon will be the key test before a final decision. If the sensations are good, Evenepoel could pivot and debut in one of the most demanding races on the calendar.

The outcome will be known shortly, but what seemed ruled out is taking shape as one of the weekend’s big question marks.