"This is a race where he can write history, that really gets Remco going": Evenepoel eyes Flanders glory in a high-stakes cobbled debut

After months of secret preparation, Olympic Champion Remco Evenepoel is officially set to make a very unexpected debut at the Tour of Flanders this Sunday. Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe sports director Sven Vanthourenhout, who guided Evenepoel through his winter recons, believes De Ronde is a race that perfectly suits the Belgian superstar's characteristics and ambitions.

While Evenepoel's primary objectives often center around Grand Tours and hilly Monuments like Liège-Bastogne-Liège, the temptation of the cobbled Classics has proven impossible to resist. To prepare for the grueling Flemish roads, Evenepoel and teammate Gianni Vermeersch completed a two-day reconnaissance of the route back in late December 2025 under the eye of Vanthourenhout.

A newly released video on Evenepoel's YouTube channel captured the team's preparations and highlighted the immense expectations surrounding the debut. "For Remco, the Tour of Flanders is a super important race. It is a race that should suit him perfectly, it is a race we are all looking forward to," Vanthourenhout said.

The excitement around Evenepoel's debut in the Ronde is enormous in Belgium, and Vanthourenhout knows exactly what is at stake. "The whole country will be watching Evenepoel in the Tour of Flanders. Not everyone will have expected him to be at the start of this kind of race, but these are races he himself loves, where he can write history. That really gets Remco going."

During the reconnaissance, Evenepoel and Vermeersch rode over the Oude Kwaremont, one of the most iconic climbs in Flemish cycling. For Vanthourenhout, it is the defining moment of the race. "This is a legendary place in cycling. This is a crucial point in the Tour of Flanders. Certainly on the last ascent, the masks come off here, and it becomes clear who is in contention for the victory," he said.

The sports director also laid out a clear benchmark for what a successful day would look like. "If Remco is still with the best riders on the second climb of the Kwaremont, that is a very good sign. And if he can pass here solo the last time, that would be the cherry on the cake."