Will Remco Evenepoel Make His Ronde van Vlaanderen Debut in 2026?

It will take a bit longer before there is clarity regarding Remco Evenepoel’s race schedule for 2026, but the Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe recruit already has two draft race programs on paper. Het Laatste Nieuws now reports that Evenepoel is increasingly considering a first participation in the Tour of Flanders.

Will we see Remco Evenepoel for the first time next spring in the Tour of Flanders? It’s quite possible. The Olympic champion has sent two draft race schedules to the management of Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe. One is a ‘classics program’ featuring the classics and the Tour de France; the other combines the Giro d’Italia and the Tour.

Exploration in the Spring
No final decisions have been made within the Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe camp yet, but according to HLN, "the flirtation with the Tour of Flanders is growing bigger in Evenepoel’s mind." And that’s not all: La Gazzetta dello Sport had already reported that there’s a very strong chance Evenepoel will make his debut at Milan–San Remo next year.

Much will depend on the route of the upcoming Giro d'Italia. Rumor has it the Giro will include a forty-kilometer time trial. That sounds like music to Remco Evenepoel’s ears. The Aerocone from Schepdaal now hopes the Giro also features a time trial in the final week.

No Giro?
The official presentation of the Giro route will take place on Monday, December 1, but Het Laatste Nieuws writes that the riders will be faced with only one time trial next year. The absence of a second (flat) time trial would be a setback for Evenepoel. However, this could also be an extra push to opt for a more ‘classics-focused program’ – including the Tour of Flanders – in 2026, reasons the Flemish newspaper.