"We can keep building on this base": Red Bull satisfied with Remco's debut; but still no plans to race Sanremo or Flanders
Cycling
Remco Evenepoel’s 2026 schedule will remain unchanged despite his outstanding start to the season, which means it will not include two of spring’s Monuments Evenepoel has been heavily linked to during this winter in context of a possible debut: Milano–Sanremo and the Tour of Flandres. Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe have made it clear there will be no last-minute tweaks, prioritising long-term planning over the excitement sparked by his recent results.
The team’s sports director, Klaas Lodewyck, was unequivocal in comments to Sporza. He recalled that the programme presented in December during the team camp in Mallorca remains fully in force and that the Belgian must stick to it. "The UAE Tour and the Volta a Catalunya will be more than enough. This is not the time to add too many extras," he said, stressing the aim is to build the season step by step.
On that roadmap, after racing the UAE Tour, Evenepoel will undertake a long altitude camp before returning to competition at the end of March at the Volta a Catalunya. As for the Classics, his presence will be limited to the Ardennes, ruling out any debut at La Classicissima or an appearance on the Flemish cobbles.
The rider himself confirmed this stance after winning the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana. Asked about a possible start at Milano–Sanremo, he was blunt: "After the UAE Tour, there will be a long altitude training camp, so I will definitely not be adding Milano–Sanremo to my calendar."
First back-up
Despite these statements, reports in Belgium suggest Evenepoel could be listed as first reserve for Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe for both Sanremo and Flandres, according to Het Laatste Nieuws. However, the team insists there is no intention to deviate from the established plan.
The debate comes amid a superb start to the year. Evenepoel has notched five individual wins and a team time trial in just eight days of racing, and he also claimed the Trofeo Serra de Tramuntana and the Trofeo Andratx at the Challenge Mallorca, events later added to his schedule and won with full authority.
Remco Evenepoel is already shining in Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe
Red Bull keeping everything under control
Even so, Lodewyck played down fears that the Belgian is peaking too early into the season in which he's once again scheduled for the Tour de France. "If he hadn’t raced here, he would have been training hard. It’s good we started by competing. We can keep building on this base," he explained.
He also noted that Evenepoel has yet to complete a specific altitude training block, so he believes there is still room for improvement. "He’s where he needs to be without crossing the limit," he concluded.
With all that, the main focus of the season will remain the Tour, where Evenepoel will look to improve on the third place achieved on debut in 2024. With that in mind, the Olympic champion's calendar would ideally remain as compact as possible with only the necessary check-point races spread out evenly before summer. Red Bull would prefer a Tour victory over 20+ smaller wins from Remco in his debut season after all.
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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