Kept tightly under wraps, it took Remco Evenepoel almost 100 days to tell the world that he would be racing the Tour of Flanders for the first time, one of the most highly-anticipated debuts in professional cycling that felt like it was inevitable, but not in 2026.
Back in December, when Evenepoel was spotted training with Gianni Vermeersch on the route of the Flemish Monument, his home nation's most prestigious race, rumours had swirled that he was preparing for a maiden tilt at the Ronde van Vlaanderen.
But Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe said no, and when it was put to management, be that Ralph Denk or Zak Dempster, the answer has consistently been that while he will race it one day for the German team, that will not happen in this current season. Vermeersch stayed quiet, too, telling local media that he was simply training near his home and testing equipment.
But as the rumour returned on the eve of Dwars door Vlaanderen, the morning after revealed that the team had all been telling white lies all along, as Evenepoel confirmed his participation and then posted a YouTube video in which, on December 27, he said to the camera: "I'll be riding the Tour of Flanders this year."
It begs several questions that don't have simple answers: just why did they want to keep it a secret all this time? How could his participation change the race on Sunday? Does this explain why his form on the longer climbs has been lacking?
The first has been addressed by Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe boss Denk on the team's website, confirming that the drama created by the late revelation was part of their plan all along.
"The connection between Remco and the Tour of Flanders is deep and emotional. A plan like this does not come together overnight," he said.
"We deliberately kept it under the radar to create a special moment for the fans – revealing it as a surprise on April 1. The fact that we were able to keep this internal for more than 100 days speaks to the cohesion and unity of this team."
As much as it is a surprise for fans and the media, that also means it should come as a shock to the main contenders for De Ronde, the likes of Tadej Pogačar, Mathieu van der Poel, Wout van Aert, and Mads Pedersen. But just how, if at all, can he challenge them?
The potential Evenepoel effect
I wrote earlier in the week that Evenepoel was the piece Red Bull were missing from becoming a great Tour of Flanders team, with the obvious factor being that they are lacking a superstar leader, who offers both clarity for the other starters and allows everyone to fully commit to the greater goal – something which UAE and Alpecin do incredibly well for Pogačar and Van der Poel.
Evenepoel has long been a better one-day racer than stage racer; his palmarès makes that clear: Olympic Champion, World Champion, two-time Liège-bastogne-Liège winner, three-time Clasicá San Sebastián winner and defending champion at Brabantse Pijl.
Denk said that Evenepoel had 10 years to race the Tour of Flanders in his most recent denial of participation at the Volta a Catalunya, but his Vuelta a España title is now almost four years in the past. And his last WorldTour stage race victory came at the UAE Tour in 2023. The time is right to take on these one-day races where he could well thrive, and perhaps thrive more – as former boss Patrick Lefevere suggested – than in what he has been chasing as a Tour de France-focused rider these past few seasons.
He has a unique skillset among the top riders in the peloton, as one of the best time trial riders we've ever seen, almost certainly the most aerodynamic, even on his road bike, and an incredibly punchy rider who is very hard to match on short climbs at his best, and a nightmare to try and bring back once he gets away.
Yes, Pogačar and Van der Poel can punch better than anyone, and have won the past four Tours of Flanders between them, but Evenpoel, in theory, has – aside from positioning – all the characteristics which should allow him to follow the biggest moves if he is indeed there to follow them when they kick off on Sunday.
For me, he can certainly win De Ronde, but of course, expecting that on debut is unreasonable. Just look at how Pogačar's first appearance went – he was outfoxed by Van der Poel and managed to finish fourth in a two-man sprint, despite his excellence on the bergs.
Evenepoel will take big lessons from Sunday no matter what comes of it, but as Van Aert correctly noted at the start in Roeselare of Dwars door Vlaanderen, "If he starts, I can assume that he is doing so with big goals in mind."
He won't want to just be dropped and watch as Pogačar and Van der Poel scorch away to take the glory; he will want to win.
That may be inconceivable in the face of the Slovenian, who has completely decimated the field at his last two Flanders appearances, but it could explain just why Evenepoel hasn't been at his absolute best climbing shape in Catalunya and the UAE.
If Flanders has been on his mind since December 27, perhaps this will prove to be a masterpiece of planning from Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, and Pogačar will be pushed to the absolute limit by the home star who has been prepping for this very day all along.
No Belgian man has won De Ronde since Philippe Gilbert in 2017, with Van Aert failing to deliver as their main hope. Evenepoel's start will ignite a frenzy in Belgium and on the streets that head to Oudenaarde, but the Paterberg and Oude Kwaremont are no place to hide – it's set to be an unmissable baptism of fire.
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