“That bit of muscle-flexing with Pogacar on the Paterberg maybe wasn’t necessary” - Belgian analysts rue Remco Evenepoel’s one big mistake on Tour of Flanders debut

Remco Evenepoel’s long-awaited Tour of Flanders debut delivered on performance, but the decisive moments of the race exposed the fine margins that still separate him from the very best on this terrain. A podium finish confirmed his level. The closing sequence, however, told a more complicated story.

Sporza commentators Karl Vannieuwkerke and José De Cauwer both pointed to a key phase in the finale where the race slipped definitively beyond the Belgian’s reach, not through lack of strength, but through how the effort was used.

Evenepoel arrived in Flanders surrounded by expectation, but his ride broadly justified the hype, remaining present deep into the final phase as the race split on the cobbled climbs. “You had a debutant who arrived with a lot of hype: Remco Evenepoel,” Vannieuwkerke noted. “But he didn’t disappoint. He looked very strong and attentive all day. He had a very good team around him and finished on the podium. Still, he’s just not quite strong enough to follow on those cobbled climbs.”

That difference became clear on the final Oude Kwaremont, where the decisive acceleration went, and Evenepoel was forced into chasing rather than following.

For De Cauwer, the turning point came in the final sequence of climbs, and specifically in how Evenepoel responded to Tadej Pogacar. “That bit of muscle-flexing with Pogacar on the Paterberg maybe wasn’t necessary. But you feel good… and suddenly you’re in a situation where Pogacar is almost playing a game,” he said on Sporza.

It was not framed as a clear error in isolation, but as a moment that played into the world champion’s hands. “That moment on the Paterberg… it might not have been necessary. But when you feel good…”

From there, the dynamic of the race became increasingly one sided.

As Evenepoel tried to close the gap after the Kwaremont and into the Paterberg, the response was immediate and decisive. “And then suddenly you’re in a situation where Pogacar almost seems to be playing with it,” De Cauwer continued. “It certainly looked that way. Every time Remco Evenepoel got closer, Pogacar would accelerate again. Another five, six, seven seconds — just to deliver that mental blow.”

That repeated pattern removed any realistic chance of a return. “You asked earlier why Van der Poel would keep riding? Well, it wasn’t Van der Poel trying to keep Evenepoel away. It was Pogacar himself who made sure the situation behind didn’t work. That’s the shame of it.”

Evenepoel’s debut ultimately lands in that space between confirmation and limitation. He showed he belongs at this level, and for long stretches matched the race as it unfolded. But on the decisive cobbled climbs, he was forced onto the back foot as the winning move went clear ahead.

The podium reflects a performance of real substance, even if the final selection showed the gap that still remains at the very sharpest end of this race.