Evenepoel to Debut in 2026 Tour of Flanders

The 2026 Tour of Flanders, one of cycling's most demanding one-day races, will take place on Sunday, April 5, starting in Antwerp and finishing in Oudenaarde after 278 kilometers of punishing cobbled roads and steep climbs in Belgium's Flemish Ardennes. Remco Evenepoel's surprise debut for Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe has heightened anticipation, injecting uncertainty into a contest dominated in recent years by Tadej Pogačar and Mathieu van der Poel.

Evenepoel, the Olympic road race champion and a two-time winner of Liege-Bastogne-Liege, confirmed his participation on April 1 following weeks of team denials and swirling rumors. The 26-year-old Belgian, who has no prior professional experience on the cobbled Classics, joins a field where Pogačar and van der Poel have claimed victory in every edition since 2021. Pogačar, the defending champion from UAE Team Emirates-XRG, enters with strong form after winning Milan-San Remo earlier this month. A third win would tie him with van der Poel's record at the event and position him to complete a sweep of cycling's five Monuments.

Van der Poel of Alpecin-Deceuninck seeks a fourth victory, which would match Tom Boonen's tally and solidify his...