"I wouldn't be here if I didn't think I could win": Evenepoel doesn't hold back before Flanders

Remco Evenepoel will debut this Sunday in the Tour of Flanders with a mix of ambition and realism. The Belgian, who has been trying to include this race in his calendar for several seasons, has finally managed to line up in one of the strongest editions in recent years, where he will compete with Tadej Pogacar, Mathieu van der Poel, Wout van Aert, and Mads Pedersen.

Evenepoel does not shy away from his debut in Flanders and aims for victory

His presence has not been the result of an improvised decision. In the statements prior to the race, Evenepoel explained that he had insisted on racing this classic during his time at Soudal Quick-Step, but that he had always been denied that option, something that contradicts what his former director Lefevere said. This season, he made it clear from the beginning within his new team. “I was always denied. This year I said in the meetings that I would either race the Giro or the Tour of Flanders. When I knew that the Giro was not an option, Flanders entered my program. And I knew they wouldn't be able to convince me otherwise.”

Despite his determination, the Olympic champion does not hide that he starts with a certain disadvantage against his main rivals, especially due to his lack of experience on the cobbles. He acknowledges the level demonstrated by Van der Poel, Pogacar, and Van Aert in this terrain and places his chances a step below in that regard. “Mathieu, Tadej, and Wout have already shown that they can win here. For me, this course is new. It’s not the same to train as it is to compete. In terms of abilities, I can get close, but due to lack of experience, I place myself below that.”

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The duel with Pogacar will be one of the major focuses of the race, especially at key points like the Oude Kwaremont, where the Slovenian has built his recent victories. Evenepoel does not rule anything out, although he is clear about what his approach should be. “We’ll see. It all depends on how I feel. But the best thing you can do is attack. It’s hard to overtake there.” He also rules out any kind of alliance during the race. “No. Everyone wants to win. In the finals, it’s one against one, and the strongest wins. Here, you shouldn’t look for allies.”

In parallel, the Belgian has also referred to the media noise generated by the late announcement of his participation, a situation he decided to manage by staying away from social media in the weeks leading up to it. “I deliberately took a break from social media during the last two weeks before all this uproar. I could sit back and enjoy watching how we had outsmarted you.” Even so, he admits that he would have preferred to communicate his presence earlier and hints that in the future, his calendar will be much more transparent. “I would have liked to say earlier that I was going to race, but Wednesday was the agreed moment. I know this can only happen once. Starting next year, I will give my complete program, and there won’t be many changes.”

With all that, Evenepoel is not traveling to Flanders just to learn. His ambition is clear despite the doubts surrounding his debut in this terrain. “I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think I could win.”