"You can't rule out he'll ride all four Monuments" - Remco Evenepoel tipped to put unfinished Giro business aside for Sanremo and Roubaix debuts in 2027
Cycling
Remco Evenepoel could make his debuts at Milano-Sanremo and Paris-Roubaix in 2027 as part of an ambitious four-Monument spring, potentially leaving his unfinished Giro d'Italia business on hold for another year. Belgian cycling commentator Renaat Schotte has raised the possibility following the unveiling of a Giro d'Italia route that could suit the Olympic champion, but which may struggle to tempt him away from the Classics and another Tour de France challenge.
Evenepoel has not competed at the Giro since abandoning the 2023 edition while wearing the maglia rosa, but his breakthrough performance at the Tour of Flanders earlier this year has opened up new possibilities for his spring programme.
Speaking to Sporza following the route presentation, Schotte said: "There's already talk of Milano-Sanremo and Paris-Roubaix. You can't rule out the possibility of Evenepoel riding all four Monuments next spring, and that would make participating in the Giro very difficult."
Evenepoel finished third on his Tour of Flanders debut in 2026, behind Tadej Pogacar and Mathieu van der Poel, before taking another third place at Liege-Bastogne-Liege later that month, behind Pogacar and Paul Seixas.
Already a two-time Liege winner, having triumphed in 2022 and 2023, the Belgian has never raced Milano-Sanremo or Paris-Roubaix. His Flanders debut provided a first indication of how he might fare against the established cobbled Classics specialists, although the demands of Roubaix would present a different challenge altogether.
The four spring Monuments are spread across just over five weeks in 2027. Milano-Sanremo takes place on 20 March, followed by the Tour of Flanders on 4 April, Paris-Roubaix on 11 April and Liege-Bastogne-Liege on 25 April. The Giro begins just 13 days later, on 8 May.
Why the 2027 Giro could still suit Evenepoel
The Italian organisers have produced a route featuring seven uphill finishes, including a demanding final week with the Gavia, two ascents of the Mortirolo and a penultimate-day showdown on the Zoncolan.
Despite those famous climbs, the Giro's 50,250 metres of elevation gain is actually lower than the 53,450 metres on offer at the 2027 Tour de France. "Make no mistake: those seven summit finishes aren't all brutally difficult," Schotte explained. "The number naturally captures the imagination, but the Vuelta has previously featured around ten summit finishes. By comparison, this is still relatively modest."
The difference in time trialling could prove more influential for Evenepoel. The Tour features 71 kilometres against the clock across two individual time trials, compared with 56.9 kilometres at the Giro, including a 19.6-kilometre uphill test.
"This is certainly a Giro that would suit the Evenepoel we saw in the summer of 2026, but how will his team approach it?" Schotte questioned. "The emphasis will probably be on the Tour, particularly with the increased number of time trial kilometres."
Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe have yet to confirm Evenepoel's 2027 programme, with a Giro return and a broader Classics campaign both remaining possibilities ahead of the Belgian's next Tour de France challenge.
Read also
Unfinished business dating back to 2023
Evenepoel's last appearance at the Giro ended in extraordinary circumstances. Arriving as one of the leading favourites for the overall victory, he won the opening individual time trial to claim the maglia rosa before regaining the race lead with another victory against the clock on Stage 9.
Just hours after that second success, however, a positive Covid-19 test forced him to withdraw. He left Italy without having faced the decisive mountain stages, his first serious attempt to win the Giro ending while he was still wearing pink.
Four years later, the 2027 edition would offer another opportunity to challenge for the overall victory, with the double ascent of the Mortirolo, the Gavia and the Zoncolan among the climbs awaiting the contenders in the final week.
Evenepoel has since established himself further in both Grand Tours and the Classics, with his 2026 Tour of Flanders podium adding another dimension to his ambitions. Whether that leads him towards Sanremo and Roubaix or back to Italy remains to be decided, but the Giro victory he was pursuing when he tested positive for Covid-19 in 2023 is still missing from his palmares.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- Rota is an excellent rider to get in a break with because he always does his turnchapmanesque04-11-2026
- That 3000 extra that the Tour de France is built up in the flat stages
Rafionain-Glas04-11-2026 - maybe this is something else they can protest in the streets of France.mij04-11-2026
- his Roubaix win was amazing. not to take anything away from him - arguably one of MVDP's wins was at the expense of a WVA flat - but so many things need to line up to get one of these. He had a perfect race with fewer bike issues on an attritional course. And crazy strong as usual. Glad he got this done.mij04-11-2026
- Orts was a super smart signing with the new rules regarding cross and UCI pointsmij04-11-2026
- yeah... you're right...PogiSloFans04-11-2026
- Podcast sounds great. Two so called experts stating the f*cking obvious.wrsty04-11-2026
- A mindset that reminds me of Tim Declerq. I loved watching that guy just pound away the kilometers, hours at the front, holding an entire breakaway in check on his own. Bjerg seems like a similar guy. Curling, the team sport.RidesHills04-11-2026
- He will be lol, but he can still win on the climbs hahaawp04-11-2026
- I would love to have his inconsistency. How many wins this year? 2 TdF stages, a WC, a Euro championship, San Sebastian, multiple wins early year. Monument podiums. I'd take it. I don't think he has a chance in the TdF, but he is still amazing.mij04-11-2026
Loading
1 Comments