Evenepoel withdraws from the Flèche Wallonne and bets everything on the "Clash of Titans" in Liège

After his brilliant victory yesterday in the Amstel Gold Race, where he won the head-to-head against Mattias Skjelmose, the great mystery of the peloton has been cleared. Although initially the Belgian left the door open for his participation in the Flèche Wallonne, today the change of plans is official: Remco Evenepoel will not start this Wednesday.

Remco Evenepoel focuses on Liège

The Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe team confirmed the news to the Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad. The decision, made after assessing the physical strain on the rider following his Sunday triumph, also has the strategic motivation of arriving in optimal condition for Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

Remco has decided to sacrifice the Mur de Huy to arrive at 100% freshness for the fourth monument of the year, where another epic showdown awaits him against Tadej Pogačar.

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Despite Evenepoel's absence, the 2026 Flèche Wallonne maintains a luxurious lineup. All eyes are now on the young prodigy Paul Seixas. The Frenchman from Decathlon, who is breaking molds this season, inherits the role of the main entertainer and favorite.

However, the road to glory on the Mur de Huy will not be easy. Seixas will have to deal with a pack of specialists hungry for victory, such as Mattias Skjelmose, who arrives eager for revenge after his second place in Amstel, or Romain Grégoire, Lenny Martinez, and Kévin Vauquelin, who will seek to take advantage of the void left by the Belgian champion.