"The team really needs you..." - Former teammate and Tour of Flanders winner calls on Remco Evenepoel to race Flanders
Cycling
Remco Evenepoel is as much of a one-day race specialist as he is a stage-racer. With his ability to ride long races, short efforts and his tactical prowess, a debut in the cobbled classics where he grew up has seemed to be coming closer and closer. Philippe GIlbert, who guided Evenepoel in his early years and has won the Tour of Flanders, hopes the choice is made regarding this Sunday's race.
Evenepoel was, in the winter, argued that he should pursue either Milano-Sanremo or Tour of Flanders this year, aiming to extend his schedule into new grounds where he can perform. After Tadej Pogacar has shown his abilities and has won both, it is no longer a doubt that other riders who are often seen as climbers can also make the leap.
But Evenepoel is an all-rounder who looks suited to every terrain. In Flanders, there was for many years the hope that he would make his Flanders debut in a Quick-Step that was no longer competitive; and whilst at Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe the performances have been stronger, Evenepoel would still likely have a leading position.
The race has become less and less tactical over the years and has in its recent editions been a matter of either Tadej Pogacar or Mathieu van der Poel attacking on the climbs and then taking a solo win. In this circumstance, the lack of experience in the Flandrien monument would not prove too costly, if at all, for Evenepoel. In the past Julian Alaphilippe had made this switch in Evenepoel's team and quickly proved worthy of a top result.
Is Evenepoel capable of winning Flanders?
But those who argue for Evenepoel to race it are not just fans and excited spectators who want another headliner to De Ronde, but men who were involved in the sport. After a Volta a Catalunya where he showed good form, and several weeks with an empty racing calendar, Philippe Gilbert believes that its time for Evenepoel to make his debut, with less pressure than what it would be otherwise in a different year.
“When I look at the BORA team right now… The team performs best at the strategic points of the classics, but they currently lack a real leader," the former winner argued on RTL's Dans le peloton show. "A rider capable of winning these races. Remco Evenepoel is the perfect man to do this".
Gilbert says this out of knowledge of Evenepoel's abilities, as the two raced together, and the Olympic Champion has evolved further and further ever since. The former pro has strongly argued for this debut, which has been sparked into a major debate this Tuesday once again after Wielerflits reported that he is set to join on a recon ride with the team this Thursday.
“I know that Remco and his father Patrick are watching us. Remco, you are currently in top form and I am convinced of your qualities as a one-day racer. With your knowledge of the course – after all, you regularly train on the roads of the Tour of Flanders – the team really needs you on Sunday.”
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.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- Indeed! A reluctant gift maybe. Even more reluctant gift from Roglic! Tho I can’t see that Rog would have beaten Ving anyway.Lozza14-11-2026
- That really nasty crash in 2022 Liege must have played a big part - broken ribs, pneumothorax. You only have to look at his points tallies pre and post.Lozza14-11-2026
- Yeah, good luck getting tv and race organisers like ASO etc to part with their cash!Lozza14-11-2026
- 36 and Ineos have bought a rider on the downward slope. Bring back Dave and Rob who could manage the team. How are Ineos going to win a grand tour with people past their sell by date.paultryan200214-11-2026
- Mmmm would he be making these comments when he was on the richest team when riding. I think not i suspect. If we want money put into the sport we need sponsors who are prepared to put the money in. No disrespect but his team are 2nd or 3rd div in football terms with riders over the hill or 2nd string riders. If i was a sponsor i would be looking at what publicity am i getting back and Tudor really are just making up the numbers really.paultryan200214-11-2026
- I see (elsewhere) that Alaphilippe had more to say than what got relayed in this stub. Me: he was very good early but his latter third trajectory was the pits. His old boss did what he could (huffed and puffed) but Julian couldn't get his greatness back. Sometimes I wonder if crashes that didn't look like much changed the course of the rider.flyer14-11-2026
- I wouldn't classify it as a gift because the nasty consequences of taking it from Sepp would have been great and would persist and he knew it.flyer14-11-2026
- Ok. Tratnik's good and Red Bull's better so Tratnik may get what he wants.flyer14-11-2026
- Ok. So just saying he wasn't enjoying racing anymore is some kind of explanation? Me saying I don't enjoy his explanation is more explaining than he did.flyer14-11-2026
- Buitrago, was he their best rider in 2026? He's the chief loss for them and Martinez and Tiberi (especially) have to step up or they will be overtaken by Bahrain's younger riders like Omrzel. I'm still somewhat high on Martinez but Tiberi, after showing signs of promise, has fizzled. Bahrain still has a good team but they need to improve and exceed expectations. I'd be happy if Mohoric could manage to return to his better form for maybe one last year at least.flyer14-11-2026
Loading
Write a comment