Remco Evenepoel skips La Flèche Wallonne - Olympic Champion readies himself for Pogacar and Seixas clash in Liège

Remco Evenepoel will skip La Flèche Wallonne. The 26-year-old Belgian will not start Wednesday’s Belgian classic, despite leaving the door open after his recent Amstel Gold Race win. All his focus shifts to Sunday’s showdown with Tadej Pogacar at Liège–Bastogne–Liège.

From the start of the season, Evenepoel’s plan was clearly mapped out. The programme announced in December locked in two Ardennes dates: the Amstel Gold Race and Liège–Bastogne–Liège. His participation at La Flèche Wallonne was left open, depending on how he felt after the Dutch race.

That option is now off the table. His team, Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe, has confirmed to Sporza the Belgian will not start La Flèche Wallonne, prioritizing recovery and concentrating all efforts on Liège–Bastogne–Liège, one of his key spring targets.

Paul Seixas will be present at the second of the Ardennes classics and will be the main headliner; whilst all three will then face off at Liège-Bastogne-Liège - after they were together on the podium of the Ardèche European Championships back in October of 2025.

To date, Evenepoel has raced this classic twice. In 2022 he finished 43rd, while last year he took ninth, his best result on the punishing Mur de Huy finish. 12 months ago he had just come off an injury that delayed his winter and spring plans; however had previously won De Brabantse Pijl and finished on the podium of Amstel Gold Race. It is a race where he's never truly found his regular level, whilst in Liège he is a two-time winner and has the endurance factor on his side.

This season, Remco Evenepoel has opened with a strong haul of wins. The Belgian claimed the Amstel Gold Race and the overall at the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, where he also won two stages (one time trial and one road stage). He added the UAE Tour time trial and swept his Mallorca start with three straight wins: Trofeo Ses Salines, Trofeo Serra de Tramuntana, and Trofeo Andratx. In total, he has eight victories in 2026, spanning classics, stage races, and time trials.