"You thought it was an April Fool's joke, right?” read the caption of the post from Ronde van Vlaaderen’s official Instagram page on Wednesday, April 1. What with AI, deepfakes, clickbait and misinformation, trust in what we see online is at its nadir. Throw in the annual circus of attempted tricks and games at the beginning of every April, and it's hard to know what to believe. But it was not a prank. Remco Evenepoel is indeed making his debut at the Tour of Flanders on Sunday – much to the excitement of the Flemish public and beyond. 

Nothing rivals the anticipation of a local star lining up at their home race for the first time. Evenepoel's inclusion at Flanders will be the same to Belgian fans as Paul Seixas’s future Tour de France debut will be for the French. And it’s not surprising why – Evenepoel’s punchiness, endurance and aerodynamic efficiency mark him out as a threat to anybody in attritional one-day races. 

However, while Evenepoel is the joker on the startlist, Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) remains the ace of the pack. In 2025, the world champion was the favourite and he duly waltzed to a second De Ronde title. That was three weeks after Mathieu van der Poel had matched the Slovenian blow for blow at Milan-Sanremo. This year, it’s a bit different. Pogačar was unstoppable at La Classicissima in March and despite still winning, Van der Poel hasn’t dominated the cobbled Classics like he has done in the recent years.  

So, how does Evenepoel’s inclusion change the game at Flanders? It may be his first serious foray into proper cobbled racing (Last year he won De Brabantse Pijl, which forms a bridge between the cobbled races and the Ardennes Classics). But Flanders is another beast, it’s the hardest one-day race in Evenepoel’s homeland. These days, winning it means getting the better of one of the best Classics riders ever (MVDP) and the GOAT (Pogačar). But despite this, Evenepoel’s participation does change things. He’s another rider Pogačar, Van der Poel and Wout van Aert will have to keep an eye on. 

Evenepoel is unlikely to be able to match the defending champion on the ascents (who is?) or better Van der Poel in a sprint. But where he does have the advantage is on the flat and rolling terrain between the bergs. Last year, he memorably reeled in an attacking Pogačar at the Amstel Gold Race. Evenepoel’s time trialling ability is an asset on the defensive or the offensive – he is the best in the world at staying away once he has a gap. With that in mind, all eyes will be on him from early in the race.

Evenepoel enjoyed a storming start to 2026 (Image: Getty)

Another key factor is that in Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, Evenepoel will form part of one of the strongest teams on Sunday. Through Laurence Pithie, Jordi Meeus, and the Van Dijke twins Tim and Mick, the German team have stepped up this season. With an aggressive, collective strategy, they will be the thorn in the side of the likes of UAE, Visma–Lease a Bike and Alpecin–Premier Tech. If Pogačar et al. are keeping track of Evenepoel, then the chance could come for one of his teammates to get into a strong breakaway. 

In all of this, hearts go out to Soudal Quick-Step, Evenepoel’s former home. Since his departure the Belgian squad are re-focusing their efforts on the Classics in an attempt to regain their cobbled crown. Evenepoel never started Belgium’s most important race during his time at one of Belgium’s most historic Classic teams. But his new team will take the praise (and the good publicity). 

However, the final word should go to the man himself. Evenepoel is often maligned in a hungry media looking for clicks. Criticism has been harsh, exaggerated and frequent. The Olympic champion is putting himself in the firing line again. It may be that come the lion’s den that is the Oude Kwaremont, his cobbled inexperience or ability is lacking, but nonetheless it’s intriguing for the race that he is lining up. 

And don’t forget that during the ITT at the Kigali World Championships – one of the last times he and Pogačar faced each other on a cobbled climb: the Belgian came out on top.