'Remco Evenepoel debuts in the Tour of Flanders but skips Giro'

There has been a lot of speculation over the past weeks regarding Remco Evenepoel’s race program, but the Belgian will finally provide clarity later today. According to Het Laatste Nieuws, he will start his season at the Tour of Valencia, is preparing for a debut in the Tour of Flanders, and will skip the Giro in favor of the Tour de France.

Remco Evenepoel already had two tentative race programs on paper. One was a ‘classic program’ featuring the spring classics and the Tour de France, the other a combination of the Giro d’Italia and the Tour. Het Laatste Nieuws previously reported that his interest in the Tour of Flanders was becoming more serious, while he also seemed poised to debut at Milan-San Remo.

The new leader of Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe will announce his 2026 race schedule at 1 PM, but HLN is already reporting that Evenepoel will likely kick off his season on Spanish soil with the Tour of Valencia. This race — not far from his second home in Calpe — takes place from February 4 to 8.

After the Tour of Valencia, Evenepoel appears set to head to the Middle East for his first WorldTour race of 2026: the UAE Tour (February 16-22). Following this race, the Belgian will remain in stage race mode, opting for the Tour of Catalonia (March 24-30) instead of a first participation at Milan-San Remo. In Catalonia, he aims to prepare himself for his very first appearance at ‘The Monument.’

No Giro, all focus on the Tour
The Tour of Flanders (April 5) is certainly not his only spring classic, as Evenepoel will also target the Ardennes trio in 2026: the Amstel Gold Race (April 20), La Flèche Wallonne (April 23), and Liège-Bastogne-Liège (April 26).

After Liège, the 25-year-old rider will take a short break before calmly preparing for the Tour de France. In other words, Evenepoel will not start the upcoming Giro d’Italia. Ahead of his main goal of the summer, the Tour, he will race one more event: the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (June 7-14), a race better known by its former name, the Critérium du Dauphiné.